INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST ROBIN STAPS BY NICHOLAS SENIOR
O
ne of the most noteworthy Some of that has been the eternal aspects of The Ocean’s im- search for the perfect partners for pressive career is how their this particular collective. For this itmusic so majestically mirrors eration of The Ocean, Staps feels like the themes presented within each the pieces are perfectly in place: album. It would be something if this German band were traditional, but “There's always been a quest of findwith albums centered on geological ing the right people that share this eons, a scientific critique of Christian- vision, and now it seems like I've really ity, and a descent into the bottom of found them. That's also the reason the ocean, each album treads new why they're much more involved in thematic and sonic territory. Their this new record than anyone ever was upcoming eighth output, Phanero- in the past. There are three tracks that zoic II: Mesozoic|Cenozoic, out now [drummer] Paul [Seidel] wrote on this via Metal Blade Records, manages record, and I’m no longer writing all to both outdo and reference every- the basslines myself. I just leave that thing before it. up to Mathias [Hagerstrand].�
The Ocean take patterns seriously, “It's been a long journey to get to this as so much of Phanerozoic II feels stage now,� he continues. “But I think like a reimagining of the band’s with this record, I'm happier than early albums with all the experience with any previous Ocean record, or and wisdom that decades brings let's say with these two records, Phawith it. It’s like a rebirth for the band nerozoic I and II. They both cover in a way. Guitarist and main song- entirely different territories, and it writer Robin Staps notes that this was meant to be like that from the was very intentional and related to beginning. But, as a whole, both of the album’s themes. them really represent where this band stands right now, and like I “That's eternal recurrence right said, where I've always seen it when I there,� Staps says. “I mean, going started it 20 years ago. And that feels back to something from the past, good. That feels like coming home but trying to make it work in a con- and closing the cycle, so to speak.� temporary way is something that has been a challenge, of course, Everything about this album—well, always ever since the inception of both albums in this Phanerozoic sethe band. But now I feel like we're ries—revolves around one of Friedreally at the stage where anything is rich Nietzsche's famous ideas (no not possible. The vision that I had of this that one). band when I started it 20 years ago was there, but it was rather blurry. “The idea of eternal recurrence is the Now it’s becoming clear where it’s thread that goes through both realways been headed. With this line- cords, actually,� Staps states. “It's the up that we have now, everything is idea that everything happens over just falling into place.� and over again in infinite time and
34 NEW NOISE
space. It's a cyclical concept of time. And you can apply that to your own personal life and any experiences that you have that recur.� He elaborates: “There are parts of the album of that reappear throughout. It’s all cyclical. There are always references to something we've done before, and actually also some songs
have riffs or lyrics that were on previous records, but I don't think many people have noticed that. The idea to do that musically also unfolded and developed while we were already quite late into the process of making this record. Otherwise, we could have probably done even more with that [laughs]. But, I think it worked out pretty nice.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł
