Rhian Sheehan and Arli Liberman each have a wealth of individual experience composing music for film and television and, on Traces, the Aotearoa New Zealand artists employ those skills for music untethered to any pre-existing or visual narrative. So it may be an understatement to call this self-produced instrumental album “cinematic,” given that the opening “Myths” establishes such a stirring yet familiar emotional build. That’s thanks in part to the balance between radiant ambience and streaking post-rock guitar, recalling both Mogwai and Explosions In the Sky. These patient tracks move and flow with artful subtlety: the almost subliminal “Immaru” really comes to life towards the end, and the especially layered “Sahar” explores raga-like motifs during its midsection. A few guests contribute additional instrumentation—and Jennifer Raoult murmurs some atmospheric lines by Victor Hugo in French on “Plateau”—yet Traces feels very much like a mind meld between Sheehan and Liberman. It’s their first collaboration, but hopefully not their last.