2013 Round-up: Mo Stewart

We asked our scribe in the thick of it Mo Stewart, aka Liverpool DJ the Mighty Mojo, to do us a playlist and recap his year for us. Here's what he had to say.

How has 2013 been for you then overall?

A mix of promise and frustration in all honesty. There have been many great records, but the likes of Melt Yourself Down, Janelle Monae & Run the Jewels have been underappreciated as the public are easily distracted by controversy and gargantuan promotional budgets.

2013 was the year of the "Event Album". Daft Punk, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Arcade Fire, even Boards of bloody Canada - all using bells and whistles to blind us from their underwhelming music.

What highlights have you had?

This year has seen some fantastic shows, both here in Liverpool and further afield. Here, we've had the return of The Pharcyde, Outfit's victorious homecoming and the last UK show from The Walkmen at the magical Anglican Cathedral during Sound City.  

I fully immersed myself in a wonderful festival season, taking in both the big (Glastonbury) and the boutique (Kendal Calling, Liverpool Psych Fest, Festival No.6). Finally, I can't leave out my own performance at Sweden's Dragonfly Festival - the gig of a lifetime.

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

Unfortunately Spotify doesn't begin to cover the breadth of great music I've absorbed in the last 12 months, but the 21 songs I've picked have all at one point or another refused to leave my headphones.

From the Feminist Blues of Deep Valley, to the paranoid nihilism of Danny Brown; the dirty Skronk of Melt Yourself Down and the party jams of The Mouse Outfit; this list runs the full gauntlet of emotions and styles, featuring artists from Mauritius and Melbourne, Brooklyn & Birkenhead.

The list runs to 80 minutes exactly, so if you choose to go and buy them all (as you should) they'll fit neatly on one CDR.

What other music have you been into this year?

Musicians Spotify have yet to catch onto include Etches, Clang Boom Steam, B.J. Smith, Show N Prove, Maxsta and DJ Cut La Vis. Then there are those who I've also been felling who just missed the cut, such as Wolf People, Royal Bangs, Bonobo, Suuns, Hookworms, Savages, Cut Copy and M.I.A..

What have you got planned for New Year?

I'm really looking forward to my NYE show. I'll be ringing in the year at NYE GRAND SLAM at Camp & Furnace. If you like the sound of multiple food stalls, a whiskey den, and some of the finest party tunes the world has to offer, I advise you to join me.

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

All I can say is........keep your eyes peeled and your ears open.