Paik

The title of this Detroit threesome’s latest album is both misleading and strangely accurate, as it is indeed reminiscent of the colour black, yet there is nothing in this dark experiment that shimmers or caresses like satin. From the get-go, Paik is here to drag every last ounce of feedback and drone from the heavy, yet not totally metal, guitar sounds and pounding percussion. Some enlightening Mogwai moments are found on "Dirt For Driver,” but eventually a haze seems to settle into the music, especially on the title track, which leaves little more than an idea drowning in its own cheerless sound. "Dizzy Stars” brings some energy, bombastic feeling later in the song, but again it is easy to get lost in the trancelike effects of the repetition and heavy-handedness of Paik’s approach. No doubt an album that is supposed to be played while wisps of illegal smoke, or other such mind-expanding substances, fly around the room, Satin Black is one hell of a slog. For those who like it heavy and hazy, the fug that is Paik will easily fill any room with a sound that could be cut with a knife at times, but light and breezy? Not in Detroit.