Celebrating the mesmerizing crackle of vinyl

You don’t have to be a hipster or an audiophile snob to feel a fondness for the hypnotic crackling undertone of vinyl. It’s a sound that resonates in a variety of directions.

Those vintage hisses and hiccups serve as a constructive element in “Turntable Drawing No. 16,” a beautiful new release by guitarist Giacomo Fiore and composer Danny Clay. Working in conjunction with artist Jon Fischer, the two San Francisco musicians have created a slow, meditative landscape that blends looped repetition with electrifying narrative.

The music is elusive and direct, gently meandering and sharply unpredictable, all at once. It’s a knockout. The piece gets a live performance during an album release party at San Francisco’s invaluable Center for New Music.

Cheshire Isaacs