Rhian Sheehan and Arli Liberman, Traces (digital outlets)

Some albums can act as calling cards for further work in particular areas, like instrumental albums which hint at getting soundtrack commissions.

Because Rhian Sheehan and Arli Liberman individually have numerous soundtrack credits already, we can guess that Traces – which is very cinematic – is made for their own pleasure and to share their impressive, surroundsound vision.

It is in a long and worthy lineage because the idea of music for imaginary films probably dates back to the invention of film itself.

In popular music the idea emerged with experimental groups like Tangerine Dream with albums like Alpha Centauri (1971) and Phaedra (1974).

These evoked images and the atmosphere of being in space during an age when films (1968's 2001, A Space Odyssey) and the Apollo programme put the public into the capsule.

Brian Eno's 1978 Music for Films is the landmark in the genre although almost half the 19 short instrumentals had already appeared in movies.

Inspired by Vangelis' haunting music for 1982's Bladerunner and atmospheric post-rock, local composers – here present cinematic sound designs of almost oppressive density through a battery of electronics, Moog and Rhodes keyboards.

When it beams down onto a featureless planet (the heroic rush of Specular where the inhabitants don't seem especially friendly), suspends you in a sleep capsule (Immaru) or casts you adrift in the cosmos (the eight minute Drift), the music makes that internal movie very real.

Turn off your mind. This is atmospheric music for a place where there's no atmosphere, and no one can hear you scream.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here

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