Lee Wakefield

It’s a brave move for an artist to sidestep their usual set up and craft an album made up entirely of instrumentals, but Carmen Villain has good reason on Both Lines Will Be Blue...

Most notably, it finds Thorpe undoubtedly at peace with the breakup of his band.

Levanskiy is not paying homage, she’s simply setting out a new blueprint for us to embrace, examine and worship.

"It sounds a bit like a clichéd disco thing but I really did have an emotive moment on the dancefloor and I never realised that before, how powerful a DJ can be…"

Recorded in the aftermath of a break-up and a period of self-reflection, Stockholm Marathon is the epitome of bittersweet...

"...I just felt like I had a clean slate and I could do whatever I wanted..."

But, as ever, Jayda deals best in euphoria, as seen on the joyfully-hypnotic ‘Sunshine In The Valley’.

At first glance, a stinging critique of Donald Trump may feel like it’s aimed at a far-too-predictable punchbag but, with Wynne, it’s all in the delivery.

Purists insist the art of crate-digging is fading due to a new crop of DJs bubbling to the surface. You do wonder if those same gatekeepers have been lucky enough to catch a HAAi set before.

For a record that was birthed out of just "mucking around", it ranks as one of the year's best.

Christmas lights were made cool this year with four in store performances on Oxford Street from the likes of Ray BLK, Novelist, Kara Marni and more.

Undoubtedly a phenomenal addition to the landslide of blistering pop records we've been blessed with in recent years, Tommy Genesis should reign somewhere near the top.

"No matter what band you’re in or your style, sometimes you’ve got your blinders on and are in way too deep..."

Radiohead affiliations, Mica Levi collaborations and Southbank residencies may catch the eye, but cellist, composer and producer Oliver Coates is a formidable artist in his own right.

A rare long player that captures the sheer fearlessness of its creator.

Quickly approaching its 10th anniversary in 2019, read our account of how Farr Festival is starting to change as well as which great parts have remained the same.

"I felt that I was pulled into a genre tag that's considered easy to reproduce and kind of cheap, which is what I don't consider my music to be..."

...I'm All Ears is a confident next step, as Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth sharpen their effortless knack for a hook and return with shimmering pop smashes that bristle with identity.

"It is a vanity project in a sense, but I hope it's one where the doors have opened rather than being exclusive."

Growing steadily since its inception nine years ago, the team behind Farr have earned their reputation thanks to immersive production and balanced line-ups, see what's in store for 2018.

A disorientating but ultimately rewarding listen.