American record producer T Bone Burnett is developing a new, ultra-high-fidelity medium for physical music distribution. Using both lacquer and aluminium, the disc format dubbed Ionic Original, combines technology from both CD and vinyl manufacturing.

The new format is said to advance the art of recorded sound exponentially and was tested by Bob Dylan, who re-recorded a number of his iconic songs as a way of testing Burnett’s technology.

Burnett said in a statement. “It is archival quality. It is future proof. It is one of one. Not only is an Ionic Original the equivalent of a painting, it is a painting. It is lacquer painted onto an aluminum disc, with a spiral etched into it by music. This painting, however, has the additional quality of containing that music, which can be heard by putting a stylus into the spiral and spinning it.“

“When describing the quality that raises analogue sound about digital sound, the word ‘warmth’ is often used.” He continued to say, “Analogue sound has more depth, more harmonic complexity, more resonance, betting imaging. Analogue has more feel, more character, more touch. Digital sound is frozen. Analogue sound is alive.”

“This is the first breakthrough in analog sound reproduction in more than 70 years.”

Burnett has started a new company, NeoFidelity Inc., to distribute Ionic Original, which he hopes will “reset the valuation for recorded music.” It also will record artists across a wide range of musical genres and supply a distribution platform for Ionic Originals.

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