2013: Wouter Vanhaelemeesch

Good: Putting out the first Urpf Lanze record and the subsequent hillbilly joyride tour through Europe with the Gonzales/Steenkiste duo (I generally refer to them as Tony Onraad and La Monte Barely Legal) which was great and intense. The highpoint being the last show at the Wagon in Stuttgart where music was replaced by half-baked stories and insulting rants. Plus the usual pleasure of seeing a great drone duo zone out every evening and scare away any leftover bad vibes from my set. Bliss!

Also great: doing a solo exhibition called 'Sad But True, But Sad' at Hectoliter Gallery in Brussels. Playing at the Flow festival in Helsinki and having the pleasure of seeing some awesome shows there like Ghedalia Tazartes, Chicaloyah, US Girls, Astral Social Club. Curating the second edition of the Haunted Inbox festival in Netwerk, Aalst with audioMER. Putting out the new Polysick record. And starting to work at art centre Vooruit as a music programmer which was unexpected and welcome in equal measure. Double bliss!!

Some of the best shows I saw this year we're by Maan, a duo of young engineers (aka people with a future ahead of them) who managed to kill it every single time. Two particular shows stood out for me; one show in Liége where they sawed a guitar in two. Another was a house show where Ernesto Gonzales joined them on violin for an epic mind melting workout. Saw El-G two times and both shows were amazing.

Another highlight was Richard Dawson at the Kraakfestival this year and Sleaford Mods that same night. Records by Lieven Martens, Steve Gunn and Mike Gangloff tickled me in the right way.