Aesop Rock, Blockhead Share "Ants" Video as Trouble Mountain Arrives

By Dani Reyes, November 13, 2026

Aesop Rock and Blockhead shared an official video for "Ants" on November 12, 2026, with Blockhead credited as the producer. The video is on Aesop Rock's YouTube channel. Their album Trouble Mountain is out November 13, 2026, on Rhymesayers.

The video, and a production credit

On November 12, Aesop Rock posted the video on his X account. He wrote that the "Ants" music video was out, credited art and creative direction to Justin CORO Kaufman and himself, and credited Kaufman with animation, VFX, and editing. In that same post, he said Trouble Mountain would be "out tonight at midnight ET." The video description matches those visual credits, and it adds the song credits: written and performed by Aesop Rock, produced by Blockhead, mixed by Joey Raia at Hudson Electric, NY, and mastered by Joe LaPorta at Sterling Sound.

Aesop Rock and Blockhead, "Ants," on Aesop Rock's YouTube channel. Produced by Blockhead.

Trouble Mountain, Aesop Rock and Blockhead, Rhymesayers Entertainment

A producer, and a partner

Blockhead is Tony Simon, a New York producer. His Ninja Tune biography says he was "born and raised in Downtown Manhattan, in New York City," and that he "would soon abandon his dreams of being a rapper for being the man who made the beats." The same bio says he and Aesop Rock "would meet and begin to make music together," and that Aesop's 2000 album Float, on Mush Records, "quickly propelled both Aesop and Blockhead into notoriety." Blockhead later released solo instrumental albums on Ninja Tune, beginning with Music by Cavelight.

In 2021, the two released Garbology on Rhymesayers. Trouble Mountain is their next full-length together. Guests include Hanni El Khatib, Baby Dayliner, Open Mike Eagle, Cavalier, and 4ize.

Trouble Mountain was on our albums list for the week.

My read

This is a Blockhead story as much as an Aesop one. They are asking listeners to meet Trouble Mountain as a producer-and-rapper album.

Dani Reyes, Behind the Boards. Credits check: Blockhead on "Ants."