Haven’t heard of Tack-Fu? It’s seriously about time you did because you are missing out. Tim Tack has been consistently throwing downright beats for awhile now. This producer who walks the streets of Iowa City, also owns Tack-Fu productions, the record label.

If you know movies, you may think of Tack-Fu as a Quentin Tarantino of sorts. With a style that can be described as dark but at the same time uplifting, this Iowa boy sometimes stumbles on his choices of emcees, and fellow artists. What you’re left with is how Tack-Fu transpires as the heavyweight, resulting in an unbalanced album.

Tack-Fu’s major weapon is his bass lines, which take on a life of their own, sometimes sounding like their sparring with the vocalist, disarming them with the contrast of real skill. While some of the vocals are a snore all around, Chaircrusher proves to be a hit or miss. Illogic’s cameo makes up for a few of the disappointments. Cousin (of Badfathers) lays down some work that actually matches the charged personality of the beat paths. The breather of peaceful vocals against a wash of electronic haze leaves one in a state of calm.

Tack’s artistic eye comes into view as his samples and intros paint a picture of an analytical mind, that isn’t molded by society’s heavy hand. Tack describes his approach as “My bread and butter is old records I find at the Salvation Army or at garage sales. The kind of records deemed unworthy by the general public. I enjoy discovering that off the beat and path antique store with a small section dedicated to used records in. It's a thrill to just thumb through the album covers, searching for something that catches my eye.”

There’s a certain cloud of anticipation growing, as to what move Tim Tack will make next, hopefully a full instrumental. With the beat coming out on top every time, “Beat vs. rhyme/Rhyme vs. beat” isn’t even a fair description of what is about to go down.

Review written on 2004/08/30 by Marisha Rosenski

Rating:
6.8 out of 10