Blockhead

Under the name Blockhead, Tony Simon has developed in New York a universe located between instrumental hip-hop, downtempo and trip-hop, built on sample collages, slow or broken rhythms and often melancholic atmospheres. Active since the late 1990s, Blockhead first appeared as a producer in New York's independent hip-hop scene, notably alongside Aesop Rock in the Definitive Jux circle, before forging a solo path on Ninja Tune. Music by Cavelight (2004) and Downtown Science (2005) established a narrative instrumental format where soul, jazz and funk loops and psychedelic textures circulate without seeking spectacular effects. With The Music Scene (2009), Interludes After Midnight (2012), Bells and Whistles (2014) and Funeral Balloons (2018), Blockhead refined a broader sound of muffled beats, supple basslines and highly visual editing. Alongside his productions for other rappers, Blockhead reunited with Aesop Rock for the collaborative album Garbology in 2021, extending a long-standing bond between the two artists.