When the sky is the colour of weathered sheet metal, Robin Dickinson must be ecstatic. Under his Slow Listener moniker, Dickinson ? co-curator of Curor Records ? projects corroded slabs of opaque sound: the audio equivalent of stormy heavens. Strangely enough, this release is called ?Snow Falling From a Clear Blue Sky.? On this particular disc, courtesy of the ever-satisfying Ruralfaune imprint, SL decelerates and degrades pure inchoate drone, searing it into five distinct portions. Each piece transmits its auditory viscosity uniquely, yet the entire 50+ minute offering materializes with an unhurried pace.

Dickinson?s gradually disintegrating sonic fabrics hide microscopic anomalies within their carefully woven structures. A perfect example is the closing track, ?Jaggernaut,? which ? aside from having an amazing name ? consists of multiple layers of static, feedback and whir through which subtle hints of melody can be detected. It?s this multifaceted approach to maximalist drone that makes Slow Listener a unique voice in a sea of soundalikes. This music is not to be missed! 8/10 -- Bryon Hayes (10 October, 2007)