2013: Records. Themes. Gigs. The Lot.

Like every other self-respecting music freak, I'm more than partial to the annual December list-athon, but what I cannot fathom are those which instantly speculate how a given year will be remembered. Sure, it's an intriguing aspect to the whole discussion, but alleging certain records will remain classics for years and decades to come is ultimately a hiding to nothing. Who's to say that Yeezus, for example, won't gather dust as its production tricks and shock value succumb to age, or that come 2020 we won't snigger at Modern Vampires of the City as an "album of the year" catastrophe? On the other side of the coin, how can we be sure we've not dismissed another Odessey and Oracle or Velvet Underground & Nico; an overlooked gem whose early obscurity masks a future cult classic?

With these and other bloopers in mind, I prefer to avoid declaring which LPs we'll view as "the best" or "the most important" with retrospect, and instead focus on the patterns and events which have unquestionably left an impression on the here and now. Without further ado, then, here the themes which have shaped my own musical year, together with a selection of personal favourites from what present impressions suggest has been another solid 12-month innings...

Artist of the Day: Jon Hopkins

Despite his resounding success with Immunity this year, the Jon Hopkins bus seemed to pass me by. Not through ignorance, at least mostly not: it's just a lot of great electronic albums come out every day and Immunity just seemed like one more on the pile. Lots of people like him, but so what? Why should I care?

The answer to the second of those two arrogant questions came seven hours into Simple Things festival when Jon completely outdid a line-up full of some of my favourite artists. His mostly midi-controlled set saw an old firestation packed like a sardine tin completely fall in love at the same time - so much so a woman turned round to me on hearing the word "disappointing" (I was talking about another artist) and asked what the f*ck I was on about. If I wasn't a good foot taller than her she would probably have floored me as well.

A very good show with a very bassy set then, so I suppose it would be fitting for me to start working through his reputedly excellent discography. This has included a very recent film score for How I Live Now, which is entertaining despite containing a bit too much teen-angst rock (if a term ever made me feel old, this would be it) for my tastes. In any case, he did a fantastic job; it looks like my love affair with Jon Hopkins is set to be a life long one.

Artist of the Day: Jon Hopkins

Although a distinguished artist in his own right, it's fair to say that most know Jon Hopkins through his collaborations as opposed to his own work. Some may claim this undermines the Londoner's credentials, but the sheer breadth of acts he's worked with puts paid to such theories, with Coldplay, Brian Eno and King Creosote just some of those who have benefited from his input, while numerous others have undergone the remix treatment. Many would even regard Diamond Mine, the 2011 LP spawned from the Creosote-Hopkins partnership to be the highlight of both men's careers - although that assertion may find itself challenged by the producer's fourth solo offering.