THE OCEAN Release Farewell Audiotree Session For Current Lineup, New Album Recorded Soon

Leaning on their paleontological concept album series Phanerozoic, Berlin-based The Ocean (Collective) have announced the "end of an eon… and the beginning of a new", following the departure notes of long-term vocalist Loïc Rossetti and guitarist David Ahfeldt.

Founding member and primary songwriter Robin Staps comments:

"Needless to say, 2024 was a tumultuous year. While playing the best shows of our career, we had reached a dead end. Loïc has been in the band since 2009, Paul since 2014, Mattias since 2015, and David since 2017.

"Touring takes a heavy toll on body & mind. It can be the best thing in life, but it can also be draining. It’s a huge commitment. We have played over 120 shows per year since the end of the pandemic, and counting studio time & travel days, that’s far more than half of our lives. From that angle, the fact that we’ve been able to do this together, with a firm group of committed people for more or less a decade against the odds of life, is pretty incredible."

Vocalist Loïc Rossetti comments:

"Over time, our visions and creative paths naturally drifted. Without diving too deep into it, I've realised I’m no longer meant to be part of this particular dynamic. No drama, just heading in different directions.

"The Ocean will carry on, and I wish them well. I’m proud of what we’ve built. Big thanks to Robin, my bandmates, every crew member, my wife and family and everyone who helped make this journey possible."

To celebrate this recent incarnation of The Ocean’s lineup, an Audiotree session is being released today, recorded in Chicago last summer as part of their From Nothing series.

Stream: https://lnk.to/ATFN-TheOcean

Four songs from four different albums from the past 15 years, it is a homage to the individuals that were the faces behind the live silhouettes of The Ocean Collective for the past decade, and to be seen as a proper send-off to close this recent chapter of the band’s (much longer) history.

Freak Valley Festival and Hellfest at the end of June were the final shows with the current lineup - and also the first shows with new drummer Jordi Farré.

The Ocean continue to work on new material - the writing process of the collective's upcoming 11th studio album is now complete, and the band will enter the studio later this year to record.

The band confirm:

"Rest assured: this band is far from dead. The Ocean Collective will begin a new chapter in 2026. We would like to thank you all for being a part of our journey throughout all these years, it means the world to us. We are looking forward to this next chapter, and can’t wait to share new music with you."