Blockhead joined KGNU’s Music Director Indra Raj to discuss his career as a producer, from his early work with Aesop Rock in the 1990s to his long-running output of instrumental albums. He talks about how music distribution and listening habits have changed over the years, how those shifts affect artists today, and what goes into his live performances. The interview also covers his upcoming releases and his KGNU Presents show at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver on Saturday, January 31. (Recorded 1/20/2026)
Listen to the interview here:
Interview Transcript
Indra Raj:
This is KGNU FM 88.5 Boulder, KGNU 1390 Denver. My name is Indra Raj, and my guest today is Blockhead, a New York–based producer who has been active in the music scene since the 1990s and is well known for his work with rapper Aesop Rock. Over the years, he has also released numerous instrumental albums, building a career that spans both collaborations and solo work.
Blockhead will be performing at a KGNU Presents show in Denver on Saturday, January 31, at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, joined by Flamingosis, Pure Colors, and Little Mac. Welcome to KGNU, Blockhead.
Blockhead:
Thanks for having me.
Indra Raj:
It’s great to have you. We’re excited to have you here in Denver. I was looking at your schedule and it seems like this might be your only date coming up. Are you performing live much these days?
Blockhead:
It comes in waves. I toured a fair amount last year, but I don’t have much on the books yet this year. I’ll probably be going to Europe in the fall. I don’t mind having time to work at home on music and not traveling all winter. These one-off shows are actually kind of nice.
Indra Raj:
You’ve been part of the scene for about three decades now. Before we talk about what you’ve seen change over the years, I’d love to hear how you got your start in music and how that’s led you here.
Blockhead:
I started making music when I was a freshman in college. I was making beats before that, but not very well. I met Aesop Rock in college in 1995, and we became friends. We slowly started working on music together. When he began putting out solo music, I helped distribute some of it online. I produced a small amount, but I was more involved in promoting it on message boards, mailing things out, and getting music into distribution spots.
In 2000, he released Float, which I produced most of. That’s really where my story as a producer begins. After that, he continued releasing music, and eventually Ninja Tune signed me to a solo deal to make instrumental albums. I’ve always thought of myself as a hip-hop producer first. The instrumental work kind of fell into my lap. It’s not even a genre I grew up listening to, but I found a way to make it my own. I think I’m about 15 albums deep at this point.
Indra Raj:
You and Aesop Rock met at Boston University, which isn’t exactly known for its music scene. What was that experience like?
Blockhead:
It’s a little misleading to say we met there. I was only at BU for one year. Aesop stayed for four years studying fine arts. I dropped out after my freshman year. We met toward the end of that year through mutual friends, and later he came to New York, where we really started hanging out and working together.
We connected right away because we were both obsessed with underground hip-hop. Back then, you could often tell just by how someone dressed that you were into the same things. We didn’t start making music together until after I dropped out, and there were no performances at BU. He didn’t really start performing until after he graduated and began doing small shows in New York.
Indra Raj:
This was also the mid-1990s, when the internet was just starting to become a tool for music distribution. What did that look like at the time?
Blockhead:
There were a few early platforms like Sandbox Automatic and Fat Beats. I was selling music to distribution spots, but mostly I was on message boards promoting it. People would send me checks, and I’d mail them CDs. We made the covers ourselves and burned everything on CD-Rs. It was very basic and very hands-on.
There was also a big culture of trading tapes and CDs. I’d send music to people in other cities, and they’d send me local music from their scenes. It was a really interesting time, very grassroots.
Indra Raj:
That’s such a different experience from today, where you can upload music to Bandcamp and instantly reach a global audience. How has that shift affected you and your creative process?
Blockhead:
The work just shifts. Once I was signed to a label, I didn’t have to do that hands-on distribution anymore. For a while, all I had to do was make music and tour. Now, in the era of constant content, there’s pressure to make videos, clips, and promotional material. Everything moves faster and feels more fleeting.
Back then, an album could stay relevant for months. Now it feels like you get a week before people ask what’s next. For me, it’s not stressful because I make music faster than I can release it. My releases for this year are already planned and finished. But for younger artists, I imagine it’s extremely stressful.
Indra Raj:
It’s been similar on the radio side. Releases used to be seasonal, but now new music comes out every week. As listeners, it can be hard to really sit with an album.
Blockhead:
Absolutely. I remember buying one album and listening to it over and over until it really clicked. Sometimes you didn’t even like it at first, but it grew on you. Now people skip through tracks for 20 seconds and move on. That’s just where we are.
Indra Raj:
Live shows are one way to counter that. What can people expect from your performance in Denver?
Blockhead:
It’s my first show since September. I don’t DJ in the traditional sense. I use Ableton Live and perform everything live. I take elements from different songs—horns, basslines, vocals—and mash them together. I don’t play full songs, and the set is constantly evolving. It’s fast-moving but smooth. There’s a lot of pre-production involved, and I’ve been doing it long enough that the process feels locked in.
Indra Raj:
You mentioned you already have this year planned out. Is there anything you can preview?
Blockhead:
The one thing I can announce is a new project with Eliot Lipp. We work together as Liphead, and we already have two albums out. The new album drops in April, with the first single, “The Long Way,” coming out this Friday. I also have two other collaborative projects with rappers coming later this year, but I can’t announce those yet.
Indra Raj:
That’s a lot for one year.
Blockhead:
It is, but that’s my comfort zone.
Indra Raj:
Where’s the best place for people to keep up with you?
Blockhead:
I’m on all platforms as BlockheadNYC. I’m most active on Instagram, mostly posting memes, but I do promote releases there. I’m easy to find.
Indra Raj:
Thank you so much for joining us on KGNU today. We’re looking forward to having you in Denver on January 31.
Blockhead:
Thanks so much for having me.
