The Ocean & A.A. Williams in Bordeaux

The Ocean is a German progressive-metal and post-metal collective formed in Berlin in 2000 by guitarist and composer Robin Staps. Also known as The Ocean Collective, the group builds long-form records around scientific and geological concepts; key releases include Precambrian, Pelagial, the two-part Phanerozoic sequence and Holocene. The Ocean toured Pelagial after its 2013 release as a continuous full-album performance synchronized to a film created for the music. Tours behind Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic and Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic followed, centered on a full-band lineup featuring Staps and vocalist Loïc Rossetti. Beyond its home base, the group has performed at Roadburn in Tilburg and ArcTanGent near Bristol.

A.A. Williams is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from London who plays dark, intimate music shaped by folk, post-rock and alternative rock. She is known for her self-titled debut EP and the albums Forever Blue and As the Moon Rests, which move between sparse piano passages, guitar-driven arrangements and orchestral textures. A.A. Williams made her live debut at Roadburn Festival in 2019, then toured Europe supporting Cult of Luna later that year. She subsequently brought material from her albums to headline club and theatre shows with a full band, and her festival appearances included ArcTanGent.