On a quiet summer night, whilst at one of my friend’s houses, I remember lying on the couch in front of the TV like a piece of collapsing mass. I was watching Cartoon Network, without a doubt one of the best channels to watch late at night, but I digress. Anyway, after a hilarious episode of Robot Chicken, part of a music video played, I immediately became hooked to the sounds I was hearing. I only managed to catch one line of this mostly instrumental song, “The music scene…”

Anthony Simon, also known as “Blockhead,” is a hip hop/electronic artist based in Manhattan, New York, who is most well known for producing for the rap artist Aesop Rock. Although he carries out solo projects as well in the same line of hip hop instrumental, it is these solo projects that I think are “diamonds in the rough” for instrumental music and the creation of catchy beats in general.

Blockhead starts out each of his songs with a unique sound with a beat. As the song progresses, more unique sounds are added to the original sounds making a new sound. It is as if puzzle pieces are being put together, interwoven into one great piece after another. Mr. Simon says it’s like a “musical journey” for each of his songs. I could not have said it better myself. Each song is different. Each one tells its own story.

Blockhead’s most recent album, The Music Scene, adheres to his policy of having a new and unique sound for each song. The album opens up with a taste of his instrumental sounds with the song “It’s Raining Clouds”. It is a great opener, but not the best song on the album by far. This song is meant to pique your interest at what is to come: the next song.

"The Music Scene" is the powerhouse song of this album. It is the song that most people would probably know about if they have heard of Blockhead. Coupled with a colorful and dazzling music video, "The Music Scene" does not disappoint when it comes to originality. It has that hook that propelled me from the couch to the computer to search for who created such art, which subsequently lead me to other songs in the album.

Each song after “The Music Scene” gives sort of a “relaxation-in-the-morning” type of feeling. The album finally ends with “Farewell Spaceman,” a song that starts with a deep sound coupled with an oriental harp sound. This song, unlike the others, fades out near the end, signifying the end of a great journey.

Listening to the other albums of Blockhead is recommended if "The Music Scene" is an album you enjoy. The songs are perfect background music or relaxation music. Each one of his songs is a piece of art, cultivated on his own by Mr. Simon. Compared to the mainstream songs of today, his work shows us that there can still be originality in the music of today; you just have to look for it.