PAKT – No Steps Left to Trace (MoonJune Records, 2024)
PAKT’s double album, No Steps Left to Trace, presents an electrifying mix of studio and live recordings, spotlighting the group’s seamless approach to improvisational music. This release, the band’s first studio album, diverges from their previous live-only catalog, capturing raw moments of in-the-moment creation from a 2021 studio session and selected 2023 live performances.
Disk One was recorded on December 17, 2021, at NRS Recording Studio in Catskill, New York, capturing the band in peak form after their East Coast tour. Engineer Scott Petito provided a live recording atmosphere, with the musicians set up in a single room, preserving the intimate and spontaneous feel of a PAKT concert. The tracks were later edited by Motzer and mixed and mastered by Brian Boland at Intercoastal Studio, giving them a polished yet authentic live style sound.
Disk Two presents live recordings from various performances, including Buffalo’s Tralf Music Hall, New York City’s Nublu club, and Philadelphia’s Solar Myth. Each track reveals evolving group chemistry, punctuated by textural layering and dynamic exchanges among the musicians. The live sessions were mixed and mastered by industry professionals Markus Reuter, Brian Boland, and Beau Gordon, offering a raw and immersive contrast to the studio work.
PAKT’s music on this album traverses genres, weaving progressive rock, jazz, experimental, and ambient electronic influences. Their sound defies conventional forms, instead thriving on spontaneity and free-form expression. Each member contributes distinct stylistic elements; Jones’ fretless bass fluidity, Skolnick’s atmospheric guitar tones, Grohowski’s rhythmic agility, and Motzer’s electronic textures. The result is an intricate, real-time musical conversation that’s as cohesive as it is unpredictable.
Jones, Skolnick, Grohowski, and Motzer are seasoned players, with impressive backgrounds ranging from jazz fusion with Brand X to metal with Testament. Their diverse experiences fuel this project, creating an album that’s both a snapshot of their individual skill and collective improvisational synergy.
Musicians: Percy Jones on electric bass; Alex Skolnick on guitars; Kenny Grohowski on drums; and Tim Motzer on guitars, electronics.
Producer: Tim Motzer and PAKT
Executive Producer: Leonardo Pavkovic
Artwork: Jason Waggaman