The Ocean

Since 2001, The Ocean has gone through various constellations and line-ups, ranging from a loose collective to a fixed band structure: some were short-lived, others lasted more than a decade. Across the various incarnations of the band, there were many notable highs. 2020's milestone album Phanerozoic II entered the official German album charts at #9 and was the second best selling album of all genres on Bandcamp in the week of release. From the ominous power and thrumming potential of 2004 debut Fluxion and Metal Blade Records debut Aeolian, described as “complex, overwhelming and mercilessly tight” (Kerrang!), through to 2007 double concept album Precambrian, a “Teutonic paean to Earth’s geology” (Revolver) and the two- headed atheist's manifesto of Heliocentric and Anthropocentric (both 2010), The Ocean’s founder, guitarist and lyric writer, Robin Staps and a perennially fluid cast of musical characters have methodically built a unique musical legacy. Their previous album Holocene saw The Ocean add a closing chapter to their palaeontology- inspired album series which began with 2007's Precambrian, presenting a gear shift towards the electronic world while paying homage to their very own sense of heaviness at the same time. Alongside this shift in thematic focus came a significant change in line up, the results of which are evident on The Ocean’s 2026 release, Solaris.