The Stars Are Ours presents the first opera-rock in outer space, boldly recorded in retro stereophonic sound. Written as a stage musical, the album narrates the (moderately) epic voyage of Linda and Toto, a young, gorgeous and flighty couple who, after an unfortunate – albeit predictable – stunt at the casino, find themselves abducted by an alien spaceship. Overly hormonal by all galactic standards, the earthlings will undergo zero-gravity surgery, visit alien taverns of ill repute, fight menacing yet snazzy robots, and get VIP tickets aboard the planet-starcraft Absurdia. Aided by a cohort of singing and dancing extraterrestrial sidekicks, our confused heroes will inadvertently save the cosmos from a villainous overlord that just barely refrains from stroking Angora cats – and thus avoids cliché by the skin of his teeth. Musically, the varied styles render a tiled patchwork that defies categorization, where echoes of pop, rock, punk, reggae, funk and electronica can be heard among a wide array of influences, from Frank Zappa to The Kinks and nods to Hiroshi Sato, Jean-Jacques Perrey, King Crimson and Oskar Sala. ————– Rafael Merino is a Spanish musician currently settled in Paris. He has also lived in New York, Boston and London, all places where his lawyers firmly declare that he has no outstanding warrants. Previously a member of such bands as Orgasmical, Motherglue or Payola Victims, he’s been a well-known character – especially to debt collectors – in Madrid’s underground music scene for over 20 years. VOOLVA reunites some of the finest musicians in Spain today, as well as notorious international guest stars such as Theremin master Dorit Chrysler or Thomas Suire (from the French combo Infecticide). This oddball project has also aroused the interest of other luminaries like Tim Blake (Gong, Crystal Machine) who provided hospitality and advice, and world-class science-fiction illustrator Chris Moore, who generously provides the brilliant artwork. The album has been awarded the first prize at the Festival des Idées of the Sorbonne University in Paris.