|
In early 2000, guitarist/songwriter Robin Staps moved to Berlin with the intention to materialize his vision of the band THE OCEAN. Over the course of the next two years he found the musicians to complete the line-up through advertising in local papers and magazines. In late 2001 the band leased the basement of a former aluminum factory from World War II and converted it into “Oceanland”, a complex that includes rehearsal space, a studio and even bedrooms, and it’s where all of the band’s albums have been recorded so far.
In July 2002, THE OCEAN played their first official show at the sold-out “Eimer” club in Berlin accompanied by 3 classical musicians (trombone, cello and German flute), to a frenetic response. The band continued working on several demos, gaining interest from Make May Day Records among others. During April/June 2003 the 30-minute-long debut CD, Fogdiver, was recorded at Oceanland. This first release (out on Make My Day / Zomba) was kept entirely instrumental, unlike the band’s initial concept.
The German press reacted euphorically; Visions Magazine predicted: “There’s something huge growing here!” Metal Hammer wrote: “A grooving steamroller of sound, which in its finest moments unfolds soundscapes of cinematic splendor. This could be the future of rock music.”
In 2003, THE OCEAN played over 30 concerts in Germany and the rest of Europe, all on tours booked by the band, with their film-like show constantly being enhanced and enriched with new components.
In December 2003, THE OCEAN won a band contest for the Riotfest held in Antwerp, Belgium. After offering a stunning performance the band returned to the studio to begin work on not one, but two new full-length albums. During 3 months of sessions a whole orchestra was recorded, complete with six violins, five cellos, clarinets and flutes. The first half of these sessions was released on August 23, 2004 by Make My Day (Germany) and Thorne Records (rest of Europe), under the title, Fluxion. A singer, who had joined prior to the recording, made the album a far more direct and uneasy listening experience than the instrumental Fogdiver. “Fluxion is something like the bastard son of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NEUROSIS and DIMMU BORGIR conceived on a stormy night. One of the most brutal, complex and merciless mindfucks as of late.” wrote wasteofmind.de.
Fluxion was greeted with enthusiasm everywhere. OX wrote: “Without a doubt this is the German answer to NEUROSIS and ISIS, without copying either of them.” EMP Magazine named Fluxion “the true soundtrack to the year 2004”, while Metal Hammer simply called it “a great album”. In April/May 2004, THE OCEAN played shows in Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Poland during a three-week tour. During autumn 2004, the band played a few concerts with NASUM and CULT OF LUNA, which were followed by a successful German headlining tour in November.
After signing a deal with Metal Blade Records, work began on the follow-up to Fluxion. The sequel, Aeolian, came out even more direct and straight foward, relegating the classical elements to the background. The pace was also sped up in places, while the use of a number of different voices gave the album more variety and accessibility. The vocal sessions alone took almost three months, with singers including: Tomas Hallbom (BREACH), Nate Newton (CONVERGE / OLD MAN GLOOM) and Sean Ingram (COALESCE) all making a guest appearance on the album.
|
|
