Those who know me know I listen to rather large amount of music. If I don’t have a pair of headphones stuffed in or sitting on my ears, chances are – if I’m not at meeting or watching telly or similar… – that there is a radio on in the background. Not that I’ve managed to translate this passion into my research. Hopefully, having some excellent music curators and projects such as Europeana Sound around me will eventually inspire.

Anyhow, and much like 2012, 2013 has been an extraordinary musical year for me and my ears. Highlights include seeing Dark Dark Dark at the Trebendo, Paris; surprise comebacks from Boards of Canada (their Tomorrow’s Harvest is my most listened to record of the year by far) and Forward Russia (yes please new material please thank you); the continued blossoming of Gilles Peterson’s 6 Music show to probably the best thing on the network; British Sea Power unleashing both bears during their Kenwood House set; berating the Mercury judges for not selecting either Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time or Cold Spring Fault Less Youth; still not getting the Arctic Monkeys; discovering Hookworms when all the ‘Best of 2013’ lists started appearing; and getting tickets to see the Fall of Math anniversary show in March (I am very much a 65Kid).

To celebrate, and in some way attempt to capture, this music and these memories I’ve picked (and organised into some sort of sensible listening order) 52 tracks that I consider my picks of the new music that appeared in 2013. Of these, if I had to choose, I’d say Jon Hopkins’ Immunity is my album of the year and Kiran Leonard’s Port-Ainé my track of the year. But that could just be my mood this morning talking…