Tack-Fu From The Talented Group “85 Decibel Monks” Talks New Music & More
Intro:
For today’s interview article we have Tack-Fu representing the legendary production group called 85 Decibel Monks alongside Grover Beats XL. After a 20-year hiatus from the commercial music industry, The 85 Decibel Monks have made a return with fresh energy on their new collab “Square One Hop”. The production collective brings together Chicago-born, Iowa City–based producer (Tack-Fu the Beat Builder) and Birmingham-raised instrumentalist (Grover Beats XL the Music Provider). Supported by a network of Iowa City musicians, beat makers, and audio engineers, the team focuses on creating excellent genre-bending music. Before reading our brief conversation, make sure you check out this new single below.
Me: How would you describe your creative process while making this with Grover Beats XL?
Tack-Fu: The track creation process is a prime example of musical delegation by elimination. I'll pour the cement...with my vintage analog gear...drums and bass line setting the tone and direction. Grover adds the melodic mood swings, riffing off the key and vibe. He'll move around the rhythm section using a "shotgun spread" technique loaded with a virtual plug-in collection so vast, the options for instrument incorporation are like having a full orchestra on the bench ready to participate at a moment’s notice.
These blasts are formatted into wav files; the rhythm section is refined. Instruments are vetted and bad takes are dumped, grooves emerge after composting, and preliminary mixes become evenly balanced. The DAW exchange between Acid 3.0 + Sonic Foundry-(Tack-Fu) and the mighty Ableton Live Suite (Grover Beats XL) encourages improvisation and dialogue. Final mixing and mastering of these recordings is placed in the capable hands of Grammy-nominated mastering engineer and Full Sail graduate Jeff Ryon. (Backing track contributions for Kanye West’s DONDA (2021) “album of the year.”
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard it before? Has it evolved over time?
My assessment goes along the lines of "Uplifting, Solid Soul, Jazz Grooved Boom-Bap Beats." However, there's a special place in my heart for Bossa Nova and the essence of Brazil. Different language, but the beat communicates. The University of Iowa's Jazz department gathers the best of the class and does a summer tour down to Rio about every summer. Brazil loves what we put down in Iowa City, and the love is returned. The Middle East has that poly-rhythm that sits in the pocket with my productions. The wind instruments they incorporate draw my attention. So...there's that world music touch in the mix as well.
Excellent! Now, what does the title mean to you, and how did you choose it?
85 decibels. That is the starting point to what is considered "Loud". If the background noise in a manufacturing facility is measured at 85 dB or above for more than 8 hours, OSHA (Dept. of Labor) will require ear protection for all employees working on the floor. Hitting that threshold is just another checkpoint in quality control. Does it still sound crisp and clean when you crank it up? Yes? Good! Advance to the next stage of post-production.
Myself and the collaborators down with the sound understand the nature of analog and all its imperfections and inconsistencies. That's beautiful, that's organic, and that is being human. We don't quantize...we flow. Perfection sounds like a machine...we don't aspire to be perfect...we just want to get to the pocket and dance around whatever time signature is in play. We are dedicated to that...monk mode level.
What was the most difficult aspect of making this new release for you guys?
What genre are we in? It's one of three (Hip-Hop, Jazz, or Funk), but our trajectory orbits around them like a satellite, darting in and out of those main genres. Or is it Trip-Hop, Jazz-Hop, Nu-Jazz, Old school House, Break Beat, or Boom-Bap? I'd just settle for "Rhythm & Groove"....Because when we dial-in the tempo and pattern...it's the rhythm section that speaks...the vibrations emitted decipher the sweet spot. When we go to post-production, we've been so in tune with the composition. It gets to the point of dulling the part of the brain made to critically evaluate, define, and catalog the soundtrack..
Furthermore, what does life look like outside of music? Any hobbies or things fans may not expect?
I picked up road biking...and the mantra "Always Be Peddling" or A.B.P. was what you did to train. What I've trained for every summer for the past 10 years is an event called RAGBRAI. The week-long bike tour across the state of Iowa. It annually attracts over 10,000 bike enthusiasts starting at the Missouri River and ending at the Mississippi River in July. It's like a keg party on wheels for 7 days.
Was there a specific moment when you realized music was your calling? Or was it a natural progression?
Tack-Fu: One day, I had a dream — a man, looking like a wise sage, came to me and said, “You’re still not famous.” Haha. Growing up, watching TV was cool, but I gravitated to the radio. The voice qualities, the sound effects, and the music used in the show enhance the story. I leaned into that. Oh snap! Grover just texted me...let's get him in on some of this.
Grover Beats XL: Natural progression. Striking the skins, bending the strings, playing the keys...after a while, people added the word professional to musician. (laughter)
Nice haha, I appreciate all the unique insight we covered! Additionally, are there any upcoming releases or plans you're comfortable sharing with readers?
Tack-Fu: Dude...we got dozens of tracks that are dialed in, don't we? Yeah man... I'd say 8 of the beats have that stand-alone power flex, and about 12 more could be grouped in lots of 4 to roll out a series of premium grade EP's.
Grover Beats XL: I am releasing tracks occasionally on SoundCloud. Just type in Grover Beats XL in the search bar.
Finally, in your own words, why should a new listener check out this new release today?
Tack-Fu: Want a sonic energy shot? Have a can of this!
Grover Beats XL: Check out our music for the soul. Press play and say "yes" to soulful music!
