Craven Faults - Bounds (2024)

Longform, experimental, ambient, electronic, sequenced… Please don't be scared off by the broad descriptors. The thing is, Craven Faults, the enigmatic Yorkshire electro artist/producer, hides a lot—in theory, musically, and in real life. His Instagram account is a hodgepodge of black and white photographs of rural British hillsides, factory machines, electronic instruments and farmland; his Bandcamp page only briefly states the obvious (the infrequent live date, limited merch runs, album announcements). There are even rumors that his label, the brilliant and underrated Leaf Label, barely knew much beyond the long, dark and heavy songs which blew them away upon signing the artist.

Bounds is spare and perfectly timed. A tinge of a post-rock vibe blesses the tunes as they build and retract, almost like hidden additions to the sequencing. The 18-minute-plus album closer, "Waste & Demesne," intensifies in volume before collapsing in on itself with synth strings detailing the second movement of the song. Throughout, a menacing, barely-wavering organ keeps the listener hanging onto every delicate modulation. Two of the four songs—"Long Stoop" and "Lampes Mosse"—rank as shorter entries in the Craven Faults catalog, but both feature entrancing depth as they cavort through upbeat narrative space. "Groups Hollows" is perhaps the most dancefloor-ready track Craven Faults has produced, its beat pushing bright and low synths forward to their breaking point—a long, slow fadeout.

As the most lighthearted and friendly Craven Faults release, Bounds should attract much-needed eyes to the project, but it shouldn't scare off anyone familiar with the fantastic catalog of the past few years. What Craven Faults lacks in straightforwardness is made up with incredible dexterity and concentrated craftsmanship. The only issue is finding those brave enough to delve into mystery, something the artist is wholly unafraid to do. © Jeffery Laughlin/Qobuz