11 tracks. Running time 70:40 From the French label Ultimae Records comes another compilation album, as usual packaged in a classy digipak. The pictures on the digipak, and in the accompanying booklet, are scenes of scintillating and refracting light. This fits in with the theme of light beams falling on Earth. Featured on Albedo are the following artists: Carbon Based Lifeforms, Between Interval, Solar Fields, Ishq, Ochi Brothers, Nova, Sync24, Hol Baumann, Aes Dana, Vir Unis, and Antonio Testa. The first couple of tracks, "Digital Child" and "Wishful Thinking" are a little subdued in comparison to what comes later. In the first of these two pieces field recordings (of birdsong and children playing, among other things), gentle percussion and occasional pads create a backdrop over which repeating but clouded refrains play out. In the second piece we hear muffled urban noises and voices as a radio intermittently picks up static and stations. A shifting drone and electronic plucked notes come in and are eventually joined by an easygoing rhythm. Many of the tracks feature ambient grooves and rhythms, some of which have a sensuous edge. Here I'm particularly thinking of "Kalaallit Nunaat"; this starts with voice snippets, gaseous pads and string effects before a thrumming rhythm also comes in. As the piece progresses the rhythm gets more intense and sultry as gossamer shimmering washes pass through and brief Eastern style melodies enticingly dance around the soundscape. The cover describes the music on Albedo as "ambient refractions and kaleidoscopic grooves mixed by Nova". That's a good way to put it. The music includes ambient washes, grooves, and detailed rhythmic passages that are colourful in a sophisticated and understated way. I imagined listening to this album to be an aural equivalent of walking through a gallery where intricate patterns are projected and swirled around on a dark background. Though each track has its own character there's an ineffable something that ties them all together. I've only heard a handful of albums from the Ultimae label, but it's soon become clear that they can be relied upon to put out stylish and entrancing ambience. They describe their offerings as "panoramic music for panoramic people". Albedo is a good introduction to the artists featured on it, and works well as an album in its own right.