Attenuated strings, a low level static that resembles vinyl or cassette surface noise, extended near silences — the tension in the track “Droplets” off the Xu album *Circular Buffer* is between foreground and background. When the strings cut in, the minor distractions of that noisy substrate become almost inaudible, yet when the strings are on hold, or even quiet down a tad, that same near-silent texture comes fully into the fore. Xu is the Italian musician Nicola Fornasari.
Track originally posted for free download at [soundcloud.com/nicola-fornasari](https://soundcloud.com/nicola-fornasari/droplets-xu-circular-buffer). The full album is available for free (name your price, that is) at Fornasari’s [bandcamp.com](http://xu-substance.bandcamp.com/album/circular-buffer) account. More from Fornasari at [substance.it](http://www.substance.it/). (Found via a repost from [soundcloud.com/roamin](https://soundcloud.com/roamin)).