US music producer and guitarist T Bone Burnett has unveiled a new physical audio format, called 'Iconic Originals'.

The format is described as a hybrid of CD and vinyl, and carries audio in ultra high-fidelity. Its made from a combination of lacquer and aluminium, and is described by Burnett as "the pinnacle of recorded sound."

In a statement, Burnett added: "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 aluminium 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."

Burnett has launched a new company, NeoFidelity, Inc., dedicated to distributing music via the format. Burnett's statement said the company would work with "artists across a wide range of musical genres and provide a platform of distribution for Ionic Originals." He also described the new format as "the first breakthrough in analogue sound reproduction in more than 70 years."

The first test products of the new format have seen Burnett get Bob Dylan involved to re-record some of his music. (Burnett was once a bandmate of Dylan's.) The recordings, however, have not been made publicly available as yet, and no further information has been revealed on how people might be able to hear or access them.