Prog rock that keeps you guessing
Sean Fairchild, the mastermind being the band Combinator, has released the band’s third project entitled re//combinator. After his 2020 release, Eargoggle Fodder, Fairchild has expanded on his unique sound with another album that is heavily influenced by electronic and progressive rock. His sound has also been guided by his diverse cultural background, having been born in Malaysia and spent time in various countries.
The album is as sonically beautiful as it is melodically interesting. The first track, “Guest In Your Own Skin,” starts off with a bold bass guitar riff over thick layers of dissonant synth chords. Fairchild’s vocals are garbled through heavy vocal distortions, making his words almost unintelligible. The groovy bass rhythm provides a stark contrast to the dark and threatening production.
“Things That Should Be,” the second song on the record, continues with a high-energy tempo mixed with intense production. Where most artists may make the mistake of overproducing their project, Fairchild produced the album in such a way that his production adds to the aesthetic of the record. Along with this, the album is paced so that the listener can occasionally have a break from the complex and maximalist production style.
One of the strongest traits of the project is how unpredictable it is. Not only are the chords and melodies difficult to predict, but the most unexpected part of the album was the cover of “Hide and Seek” from Imogen Heap’s 2005 album Speak for Yourself. The cover seems appropriate, since the original song has an infamous amount of vocal layering, which would lend itself nicely to Fairchild’s project. Nonetheless, Combinator’s take on “Hide and Seek” was enjoyable as well as artistically creative.
“Cartoon Character Child” has some interesting and philosophical lyrics about the dual pity and jealousy that befall young fictional characters. The second half of the song turns into a dreamlike guitar solo over ambient guitar and synths. “Respira” has two differently mixed versions of the same instrumental track. The album ends with “Through the Fog,” which showcases Fairchild’s best vocal performance and the best lyricism on the record.
re//combinator is a brief project. At just half an hour’s worth of listening, Fairchild manages to pack a lot of material for his audience to enjoy in only seven tracks. Luckily, he is able to maintain interest by always surprising the listener and by never being predictable.
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