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Blockhead (music producer)
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Birth name
James Anthony Simon
Instruments
Sampler
Role
Record producer
Name
James Simon
Occupation(s)
Producer, DJ
Also known as
Tony Simon, T. Simon, Tones, Toneslap, Dr. Tony, Tone Capone
Origin
Manhattan, New York, United States
Genres
Instrumental hip hop, trip hop, downtempo, electronic, IDM
Parents
Renee Adriance, Sidney Simon
Music group
Party Fun Action Committee
Albums
The Music Scene, Interludes After Midnight, Uncle Tony's Coloring, Downtown Science, Music by Cavelight
Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, Blockhead is most associated with producing tracks for Aesop Rock. He has been a member of the groups such as Party Fun Action Committee and The Mighty Jones.
Biography
Simon was born and raised in Downtown Manhattan. He is the son of the late Sidney Simon, a well-known sculptor in New York City, and Renee Adriance, a social worker. He has one brother and five half siblings. At a young age, he loved hip hop in both the lyrical and musical aspects. In his early teens, Simon and his friends formed a group called the Overground, where he started making music. As an aspiring rapper, he enrolled in Boston University and encountered Aesop Rock, another BU student. At this point, Simon quit rapping and focused on producing music. According to him, his stage name comes from the shape of his head: "While it's not square, it's pretty close."
Studio albums
Music by Cavelight (2004)
Downtown Science (2005)
Uncle Tony's Coloring Book (2007)
The Music Scene (2009)
Interludes After Midnight (2012)
Capture the Sun (2013) (with Illogic)
Bells and Whistles (2014)
Justplaywitit (2014) (with Marq Spekt)
Gone Long (2015) (with Joanna Erdos, Jeremy Gibson, Damien Paris, and Bay Li Mckeithan, as The Mighty Jones)
Keep Playin' (2016) (with Marq Spekt)
Funeral Balloons (2017)
Compilation albums
Broke Beats (2001)
The Block Is Hot (2004)
Block in the Box (2005)
The Block Is Hot Pt. 2 (2005)
Peanuts in Your Mouth (2007)
EPs
Preparing for Capture (2012) (with Illogic)
Preparing for Capture 2 (2012) (with Illogic)
After Capture (2013) (with Illogic)
Singles
"Insomniac Olympics" (2003)
"Sunday Seance" b/w "Jet Son" (2004)
"Expiration Date" (2005)
"Alright" (2006)
"Nobody's Smiling" (2007) (with DJ Signify)
Productions
Aesop Rock - "1,000 Deaths" from Appleseed (1999)
Aesop Rock - "Commencement at the Obedience Academy", "I'll Be OK", "Basic Cable", "Oxygen", "Spare a Match", "Attention Span", "Drawbridge", and "The Mayor and the Crook" from Float (2000)
Aesop Rock - "Daylight", "Save Yourself", "Flashflood", "No Regrets", "The Tugboat Complex Pt. 3", "Bent Life", "The Yes and the Y'All", "9-5ers Anthem", and "Shovel" from Labor Days (2001)
Aesop Rock - "Daylight", "Night Light", "Forest Crunk", "Maintenance", and "11:35" from Daylight (2002)
Lodeck - "I Pollute" from Bash It (2002)
Murs - "Happy Pillz" from The End of the Beginning (2002)
S.A. Smash - "Love to Fuck" from Smashy Trashy (2003)
Aesop Rock - "Cook It Up", "Babies with Guns", and "11:35" from Bazooka Tooth (2003)
Lodeck - "Applause", "Feed Me Grapes", and "Beautiful Disease" from Dream Dentistry (2003)
Vordul Mega - "Struggles" from The Revolution of Yung Havoks (2004)
Cryptic One - "Apocalypse Zone", "Unicycle", "Bicycle", and "Tricycle" from The Anti-Mobius Strip Theory (2004)
Cage - "Too Heavy for Cherubs", "Stripes", and "Scenster" from Hell's Winter (2005)
Illogic - "An Ocean" from Write to Death (2005)
Aesop Rock - "Fast Cars", "Number Nine", and "Holy Smokes" from Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives (2005)
Despot - "Crxp Artists" and "Substance D" (2006)
Aesop Rock - "None Shall Pass", "Bring Back Pluto", "Fumes", "Getaway Car", "The Harbor Is Yours", "No City", and "Coffee" from None Shall Pass (2007)
Hangar 18 - "The West Wing" and "Room to Breathe" from Sweep the Leg (2007)
Isaiah Toothtaker - "Winds Know Better" and "Tucson AZ" from Murs 3:16 Presents (2008)
DJ Signify - "Costume Kids" and "1993" from Of Cities (2009)
Open Mike Eagle - "Billy's Quagmire" from Extended Nightmares Getdown: The Dark Blue Door (2011)
Billy Woods - Dour Candy (2013)
Aesop Rock - "Cat Food" (2014)
Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman - "Environmental Studies" from Lice (2015)
Billy Woods - "Bicycles", "True Stories", and "Good Night" from Today, I Wrote Nothing (2015)
Marq Spekt - "Still Right In" from Bionic Jazz (2016)
Billy Woods - Known Unknowns (2017)
Remixes
The Majesticons - "Suburb Party (Blockhead Remix)" (2003)
Her Space Holiday - "Meet the Pressure (Blockhead Remix)" from The Young Machines Remixed (2004)
Cool Calm Pete - "Lost (Blockhead Remix)" (2005)
Omega One - "Off the Horizon (Blockhead Remix)" from Memento (2006)
Lodeck - "Na Lubom Yazike (Blockhead Remix)" and "Demon Strait (Blockhead Remix)" from Behold (2007)
Del the Funkee Homosapien - "Foot Down (Blockhead Remix)" (2008)
Yameen - "Fire (Blockhead Remix)" from Never Knows More (2009)
Nacho Picasso - "Benjamin Segal (Blockhead Remix)" from For the Glory (2011)
Emancipator - "Nevergreen (Blockhead Remix)" from Remixes (2011)
DJ Cam - "Love (Blockhead Remix)" from Remixed (2013)
