PAK is a New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 based band. They are signed to John Zorn

John Zorn

John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...

's Tzadik

Tzadik Records

Tzadik Records is a record label based in New York City specialising in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by the eclectic composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995; Zorn is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases...

 label.

PAK was originally formed by Ron Anderson

Ron Anderson (musician)

Ron Anderson is a New York City based internationally known musician and composer. He is known for collaborations with many famous musicians, and has a large catalog of releases and compositions.-Molecules:...

 in 2000, after he spent some time with The Molecules

The Molecules

The Molecules or Molecules is a band.Ron Anderson formed the Molecules with Chris Millner and Tom Scandura in 1990, a “hyper-brid” style of music, that combined free improvised noise and notes with tightly arranged angular songs...

. The original line-up consisted of Anderson, Jesse Krakow

Jesse Krakow

Jesse Krakow is a New York City based bassist/musician. He has toured with Shudder To Think, playing bass on their 2009 live album "Live From Home." He has also collaborated with Tatsuya Yoshida and Ron Anderson for live performances as RonRuins, was previously in Anderson's band PAK, and is...

, Will Redmond, and Race Age. This line-up released the album 100% Human Hair. In 2003, Race Age was replaced by Keith Abrams

Keith Abrams

Keith Abrams is a rock drummer, known mostly for his work with Time of Orchids and PAK. He is a frequent collaborator both with Ron Anderson and Jesse Krakow.Abrams was recruited, along with Jesse Krakow, into Time of Orchids in 1999...

, and that version released Motel

Motel (Pak album)

Motel is a 2005 album by New York City brutal prog band Pak. It has been well received in the indie marketplace it was targeted for.-Track listing:*1 You Like It Like That *2 Heatwave *3 100% Human Hair...

, which was well received. This version of the group also performed at the Bowery Poetry Club with Jac Berrocal

Jac Berrocal

Jacques "Jac" Berrocal is a French trumpeter, singer and composer. He has been active since the 1970s in the independent and avant-garde music scene, and has released many albums. He also founded and performed in the group Catalogue, and has collaborated with Ron Anderson...

.

In 2007, Anderson reconfigured the group, switching from guitar to bass, and recruiting Tim Byrnes

Tim Byrnes

Tim Byrnes is a New York City trumpeter and composer. More recently, he has added synthesizer to his repertoire. He recently started a music project called Hazel-Rah . Byrnes is also a graduate of New York University...

 on various instruments. This version of the group toured Europe (as a duo, with Abrams and Anderson along with occasional guest musicians), and is currently working on their next release.

Reviews

Norwegian publication Tarkus Magazine described PAK as a combination of Otis Redding

Otis Redding

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...

, Captain Beefheart

Captain Beefheart

Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...

, Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant

Gentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...

 and The Talking Heads. Glenn Astaria of Jazz Review described Motel as a tangled web of complexities complete with off-kilter ostinatos, driving bass lines and peppery horns.

Discography

• 2003 - 100% Human Hair
• 2005 - Motel
  Motel (Pak album)
  Motel is a 2005 album by New York City brutal prog band Pak. It has been well received in the indie marketplace it was targeted for.-Track listing:*1 You Like It Like That *2 Heatwave *3 100% Human Hair...
  
  
• 2009 - The Ashfield Sessions
• 2011 - Secret Curve
  Secret Curve
  Secret Curve is a 2011 album by Ron Anderson's PAK. It was released on John Zorn's Tzadik label as part of the composer series.-Tracks:*1. Overture*2. Let Me Tell You Something*3. Caffeine Static Rendezvous*4. No Future*5. Caro-Kann*6. Secret Curve...
  
  

Line-ups

• Version 1 - Ron Anderson, Jesse Krakow, Will Redmond, Race Age (2000-2002)
• Version 2 - Ron Anderson, Jesse Krakow, Race Age (2002)
• Version 3 - Ron Anderson, Jesse Krakow, Keith Abrams (2003 to 2006)
• Version 4 - Ron Anderson, Keith Abrams, Tim Byrnes (2007 to present)