Headnodic

Producer and bassist Headnodic, aka Ethan Parsonage, was very much influenced by the late-'80s/early-'90s rap scene in New York, where he was raised before moving to the Midwest. Once he figured out he was a better producer than rapper, he taught himself how to do pause tapes and play several instruments, including, of course, the bass. Parsonage eventually moved back to the East Coast to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he met the members of what would become the hip-hop band Crown City Rockers, though they were originally called Mission: before 2002. After the Crown City crew settled in Oakland, CA, to begin their recording careers, Headnodic began to indulge in many side projects and make a name for himself as an accomplished producer. He released many instrumental LPs, like the breakbeat album Headnodic Beats, Vol. 1 in 2000 and solo efforts Tuesday and Nemakogen, both released in 2002. In addition to producing beats for Zion I & the Grouch, Mr. J. Medeiros, and Project Move, he co-founded many collaborative efforts in the mid- to late 2000s: among them were Plate Knife Fork Spoon, a band built around the Crown City Rockers' rhythm section; the Mighty Underdogs with Blackalicious' Gift of Gab and Latyrx member Lateef; and the duo Megaphone with Boston native and ex-Mission: MC Moe Pope.