And so again we’ve reached the end of the year amigos. It’s been a dismal. Usually I’m happy for the New Year to arrive, bringing with it the possibility of improvement. But not this time. Our prospects, well, for a good chunk of us, look increasingly grimmer. Not long to go now until we’re fully subjected to the restoration (or should that self-immolation?) of a social and economic model with scandalously unfair Dickensian levels of poverty and disparity.

Just how did the country come to be ran by idiots who feel they have to pretend dislike stuff such as freedom of movement and trade? It’s complex, but essentially this runaway omnishambles has been created by a cyclical symbiosis between the media’s complacency and the political classes feeding red meat to loud right wing ideologues who deluded themselves (and too many others with their man-of-earth, used car salesmen bantz) that forms of equality, opportunity, immigration, nationalisation and education has suppressed them from greater success and wealth. SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon surmised this mania perfectly, “Never has so much been lost by so many, to satisfy so few”.

Thoughts of how ghastly No-Deal Britain could look fill me with dread. An impression framed by the bleak light of winter (of what little there is of it) and the ongoing sociological decay of decency, respect and common sense. My advice, forget it all, and try to enjoy this Christmas among family and friends with some enthusiasm. Not to be morose, but you just don’t know if you’ll get the same chance again next year. Things may be very different. Change is inevitable and the universe is ambivalent luvvies.

Anyway, on to the list. I’ve decided to truncate things a bit. People have too much going on in their lives to read a long blog post, or relative to the subject, an article which asks them to listen to a top hundred or fifty songs of the year. Do these bloggers and editors of music websites not realise that a hundred songs is the equivalent of roughly a ten albums? I’m no fan of abbreviated attention spans and their causes either, nor their prevailing influence on wider social and political attitudes and perceptions, but it’s a major force in shaping modern reality, so you either evolve to serve it, you don’t and (likely) won’t survive or you try to change it. Personally I don’t see a top tracks list of a year changing social mores and causing cultural (and intellectual) revolutions, but hey, what the fuck do I know? Given what we’re seeing, you can’t be completely certain of anything anymore.

You also can’t rule out us not being here in a week (remember – the current US president willingly adopts the colour and texture of clitoris worn out by too many chemo and sunbed sessions), but we probably will be, and so will my top albums of the year list, which you’ll be glad to hear is also restricted to ten choices. That, like this, will come in alphabetical order. Merry Christmas to everyone, yes, even those of you who voted Leave.

Boa – Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes

From the album ‘Music for Saxophone & Bass Guitar’

Cleo – Donato Dozzy

From the EP ‘Mindless Fullness’

Cruise Control Love – Melatonin Man

From EP ‘Cruise Control Love’

Den Heb Taves – Gwenno

From the album ‘Le Kov’

Faceshopping – Sophie

From the album ‘Oil Of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides’

g 1 e 1 – Autechre

From the album ‘NTS Sessions part 3’

I Don’t Wanna Dance With My Baby – Insecure Men

From the album ‘Insecure Men’

Session Add – Skee Mask

From the album ‘Compro’

So Good So Right 2 – Shinichi Atobe

From the EP ‘Heat’

T69 Collapse – Aphex Twin

From the EP ‘Collapse’