THE OCEAN RELEASE FIRST HALF OF CLOSING PIECE FOR UPCOMING ALBUM SOLARIS, “ULTIMA ESPERANZA” — WATCH
12TH ALBUM SOLARIS ARRIVES SEPTEMBER 25 VIA PELAGIC RECORDS — PRE-ORDER
“Ultima Esperanza” is the first half of the 20-minute closing piece of Solaris, The Ocean‘s 12th studio album — one that honors the band’s 25-year legacy while infusing it with a fresh sense of relevance and immediacy.
“Ultima Esperanza” (Spanish for “last hope”) is the name of the southernmost province on the South American continent, named after the inlet known as Última Esperanza Sound. The inlet was given its name by Spanish navigator Juan Ladrillero in 1557, who hoped it would offer a passage to the Strait of Magellan. Instead, it leads to a glacier — and ultimately, a dead end.
The band comments:
“‘Ultima Esperanza’ explores the intrinsically human notion of hope as the driving force behind all explorative endeavours, and loss thereof. It is a reflection on mental resilience, tracing the different stages of losing hope and the mind’s remarkable tendency to keep projecting it even onto the most dire realities, as an instinctive means of survival.”
Solaris combines the narrative of Andrey Tarkowsky’s 1972 film of the same name with existential contemplation inspired by the journals and records of real-life Earthian explorers. By poring over the historic documents related to explorers such as Da Gama, Magellan, and Sir Frances Drake, Solaris draws parallels between the cosmic explorations of Tarkovsky’s film, the explorative nature of artists and current-day political leaders.
Once again, the Berlin-based post metal collective has joined forces with film maker Craig Murray for a breathtaking, visceral music video. “Ultima Esperanza” could be interpreted as a prequel to the first single and music video “Light Pollution.”
Featuring members from six different countries in the core line up, The Ocean returns to its collective formation and is able to draw on the experiences and talents of a pool of extraordinary musicians. The Ocean’s signature atmospheric post-metal is embellished by the adventurous spirit of their new members, as well as the impressive contribution of Thorsten Quaeschning ofTANGERINE DREAM on keys.
The bigger part of the album was tracked at the legendary Hansa Studios, Berlin, where David Bowie’s Low and Heroes, Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life and Depeche Mode’s Construction Time Again were recorded. Within the studio walls, Solaris became a living, breathing testament to the power of exploration and teamwork. With new vocalist Tiberi being a virtuous piano player and multi-instrumentalist, the analog tones of the celesta, grand piano, Rhodes and Hammond became an integral and idiosyncratic component of the Solaris sound.
The Solaris album artwork is a collaborative effort by German artist Phillip Janta (Metallica, Queens Of the Stone Age, Envy) whose distinctive, highly detailed line work is instantly recognizable, and Norwegian artist Martin Kvamme who is the graphic designer behind most of Mike Patton’s numerous projects. The deluxe version of the album will be accompanied by a hardcover, fabric-wrapped book with copper hot foil print, printed inner sleeves, a 32 pages book, seven art prints by Phillip Janta as well as a customized, retro-futuristic star constellation finder.
When it comes to album packaging, The Ocean have always gone to the limits of what is physically possible, and Solaris is no exception. In the age of streaming and thumbnail-sized album art, Solaris —with its sharp focus on physical formats— stands as an absolute statement album.
SOLARIS TRACK LISTING:
“52°30’11” N, 13°26’12“ E”
“Departure Song”
“Light Pollution“
“Simulacra”
“Belligerence“
“Ultima Esperanza“
“Milk Of My Dreams”
“51°28’30” S, 73°6’11” W”
THE OCEAN IS:
Robin Staps — Guitar, Cocals
In addition, the following musicians performed on this record:
Mattias Hägerstrand — Bass
Jordi Farré — Drums + Percussion
Thorsten Quaeschning — Keys
Enrico Tiberi — Vocals + Keys
Lane Shi — Vocals
Emmanuel Jessua — Guitar
Marco Gennaro — Guitar
Orestis Zafiriou – Keys
Simen Eifring — Trombone
Jiawei Zhang — Vibraphone
