Twelve years after STAROFASH’s excellent debut, Iter.Viator, the brainchild of Heidi S. Tveitan proves to only reach new heights over the course of time.  Ghouleh, featuring a song for every month of the year plus one bonus track, is an imaginative, ethereal album.

Unlike Lakhesis, Ghouleh’s foundation is not entirely dependent on a traditional band configuration (drums, guitar, bass).  Instead, a portion is based on electronic/programming in addition to the trademark STAROFASH classical instruments of pianos and synth.  New dimensions of the band’s sound are sometimes obvious yet often subtle.

The variety of the material is wide yet cohesive.  A song like “Shimmer” is on the grandiose side of things compared to the minimalist electronics of “Draum.”  The results are always beautiful, delicate, organic soundscapes.

What really matters most with Ghouleh is that the music is compelling and straight from the heart.  STAROFASH directly communicates with the listener on a deep level.  With music this good, it’s so easy to just drift off to another place.  One of the best albums of the year.  (Mnemosyne Productions)