Records of the Week

[Holocene Music / Ethan Rose on MySpace]

Some epic instrumental artists were born to be in movies. This Portland composer broke through in 2008 and landed several of his synth-heavy soundscapes in the Gus Van Sant film Paranoid Park, and deservedly so. His other involvement, the much-loved band Small Sails, and his new drifting into more atmospheric territory have been highlighted before here on NLP, but we’re happy to bestow the Instrumental Record of the Week honor upon Ethan Rose for the first time. Oaks is quiet and dreamy, but Rose’s signature melodies are so crisp and memorable that it almost feels like an ambient pop record, full of blooming keyboards and friendly electronics. Get more of a taste via the nowlikephotographs podcast.