At the end of 2017, The Ocean promised a new double album with the first part due out this year and the second part out in 2019. In an interview with Arctic Drones, drummer Paul Seidel says the band is in the studio right now and will likely release the first part of the record in November. Seidel adds that the album is a thematic continuation of the band's 2007 double album Precambrian.
He also goes fairly in-depth about the band's writing process and how different members contribute to the new album's direction.
Yeah we’ve already started recording the new album which will follow the “story” traced by Precambrian. Thematically it picks up where Precambrian left off. Basically, Precambrian is the drawing of the Earth as it is, while the new album will take on the birth of living organisms, how they prospered, and their evolution until pretty much the arrival of human beings. It’s a big task, which is why it’s going to develop into two records, with the first part probably due in November.
As for recording a record, it’s all a matter of characters in the band. It’s about people’s characters and what ideas different people bring to the table and with The Ocean it’s a little different because it’s always been Robin who takes care of a lot. He always has a certain vision in mind. I’m never sure if it’s a full-grown idea or a mega-concept floating around, but its’ a long process from formulating an initial idea and drawing it into something that everyone kind of understands in the band. Because I can record a drum demo at home and have all the melodies ready in my head but as long as that is not turned into something other people will not understand that.
So the process with this record was pretty much Robin having an idea and writing a record that fits that idea. Now we’re in the middle of shaping the diamond, like this gem that you find and now everyone is working hard on shaping it into something beautiful.
We'll keep you posted on the new record, but personally I am so, so stoked. The Ocean's 2013 album Pelagic is perfect in every way and it'll be really interesting to see how they follow that up.
