A New York-based dream pop outfit known for its abstract pastiche of styles and high concept themes, Sound of Ceres emerged in the mid-2010s following the dissolution of its members' previous band, the Colorado shoegaze trio Candy Claws. Led by creative and marital partners K and Ryan Hover, the project debuted with 2016's expansive Nostalgia for Infinity which pulled from a variety of unusual sources ranging from classic bossa nova to the work of Marcel Proust. Their 2017 follow-up, The Twin, was similarly eclectic with its science fiction themes and psychedelic sound. Returning five years later, Sound of Ceres produced their most ambitious work yet in 2022's Emerald Sea. A collaboration with performance artist Marina Abramovic, the album was inspired by the classical works of Ravel and Holst, as well as mid-century exotica.

After releasing three albums and numerous other recordings of dream-like, shoegaze pop with Candy Claws, Colorado natives Karen (known simply as K) and Ryan Hover split off to form a new band in 2014. Sound of Ceres worked in a similar tone, though with a more ambitious approach and a combination of electronics, psychedelia, and even classical motifs. They also employed a long list of collaborators, including Jacob Graham of the Drums, three members of the Apples in Stereo (Robert Schneider, John Ferguson, and Ben Phelan), and Derrick Bozich. Sound of Ceres played shows throughout 2015, and released their first recording, a track titled "Solar Mirror Anthology, Vol. 6" for Flannelgraph Records in 2016. Meanwhile, they had signed with Joyful Noise and were putting the finishing touches on their debut album. Initially inspired by a close reading of "The Girl from Ipanema" and taking in elements of the themes of Marcel Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time, the expansive Nostalgia for Infinity was released in March of 2016.

The band spent a large chunk of the year touring, but also found time to begin work on another album. As Ryan was reading Thomas Mann's novel The Magic Mountain, inspiration struck and soon he and K were writing new songs. The band worked up an initial set of arrangements which then evolved further after a trip to Iceland to work with producer Alex Somers (Julianna Barwick, Sigur Rós). There they pulled the arrangements apart and replaced most of the guitars with synths, while recasting the sound as something much colder. The resulting album, The Twin, appeared in late 2017 and was supported by an elaborate stage show that included science fiction themes, costumes, and illusionists.

Working with performance artist Marina Abramovic, the Hovers began developing their work, an abstract, orchestrally driven concept album concerning two celestial deities. Voiced by Abramovic (as the Universe) and K (as Venus), Emerald Sea found further inspiration in Maurice Ravel's ballet Daphnis et Chloé and Gustav Holst's The Planets, as well as the loungey exotica of Les Baxter. The album was released in June 2022. ~ Tim Sendra, Rovi