2013 Round-up: Leah Connolly

After we got Mike Warburton from Skiddle HQ to run through his 2013 for us, the next writer to deliver their round up of the year is Leah Connolly. Leah is one of our Month Ahead scribes (she’s the voice behind our Bass Music and Electronica in the North guides), who also pens words for Crack Magazine and Noisey Music.

Here’s her take on the past 12 months. 

How has 2013 been for you then overall? What highlights have you had?

2013 has been an amazing year for me! I finally moved into my first ever grown-up apartment and was lucky enough to be commissioned to cover a batch of festivals again this Summer (Special shout-out to Beacons for being the finest festy of the year, once more.), including Field Day in the capital and Parklife on my doorstep.

I also managed to interview a hero of mine, Bonobo, without actually hurling from nerves and the cool cats over at CRACK gave me my first ever feature piece in national print. PROUD FACE. 

You’ve done a Spotify playlist for us, thanks! Explain the songs you’ve chosen and why?

The tracks I chose are in no particular order and are an amalgamation of my favourites to be released this year, as well as what has gone down a storm on the dancefloor- there are too many marvellous tracks, stories and memories to go into depth, so listen to it yourself and conjure up your own.

Hopefully you’ll have a favourite or two in there and make a new discovery. I’m no doubt going to kick myself for forgetting something as soon as I’ve submitted this but, you know the score.

What other music have you been into this year?

Kelela’s debut free release ‘Cut 4 Me’ on Fade To Mind was certainly a stand-out that seemed to erupt from nowhere, fusing the grit of Night Slugs production with pop/ soul vocals unlike anything else in the public domain at the moment. Mixtape-wise, both heralding from Chicago, Tink (of whom apparently is only seventeen, like, what?!) has crazy flow on ‘Blunts & Ballads’, whilst Sasha GoHard’s ‘Do You Know Who I Am?’ hasn’t been off stream for me.

In the guys corner, Lil Ugly Mane’s beefed-up ‘Mista Thug Isolation’ soundtracked my Summer a year too late and Chance The Rapper’s ‘Acid Rap’, overflowing with smoked-out bliss, is another winner. Then there is Clouds bringing banging techno releases that surpass way beyond they fact they only performed their first live set back in August, as well as Blondes sonic ‘Swisher’, with it’s beautiful synth swoops and experimentative transmissions.

Lapalux’s Nostalchic’ on NinjaTune/ Brainfeeder would also be silly not to mention as I’ve tired everyone I know from praising it so much, along with Four Tet’s latest offering ‘Beautiful Rewind’, all hail Hebden! 

What have you got planned for Boxing Day/New Year?

I don’t usually have plans for Boxing Day evening unless I’m staying with family in Liverpool which I won’t be this year- but New Year-wise, I’ll be back in Manchester! My pick would be Islington Mill’s mammoth Future Party, featuring a quadruple hit of intergalactically themed rooms and fabulous promoters’ such as Work Them, Stop Making Sense and Off With Their Heads.

Plus, the Mill is a stones throw from where I live, so we can all stumble home without paying for extortionate transport or quickly put someone who drinks too much sparkly fizz, too early, to bed. 

And finally; any plans you can let slip for 2014?

I’ve got some exciting plans set in motion to produce my first pieces for a certain print publication, of whom shall remain unnamed but I have some of the biggest interviews and projects I’ve ever done approaching… fast. It’s nerve-wracking but I certainly think it’s good to get out of your comfort zone or how else can you develop? Plus, if I don’t have an output to write I become a moody, built-up little madam.

Wait, is this coming across a little narcissistic? Is anyone still even there? Well, as long as 2014 consists of graduating, quitting smoking, kissing a whole lot more boys, discovering even further remarkable releases and feeling nauseous with joy at various live shows- I think we are in for a winner. Oh, and of course, letting the Skiddle readers know what time it is every month!

We've got tickets on sale for Leah's NYE pick at Islingotn Mill here.

Tickets are no longer available for this event