True to our word at THUMP UK, we've decided to mark the End of Year features run with something a bit different. In our Editor's Note, we said that we'd be "amiss not to engage with the very people who we listen to and see perform every day", so we've asked some of the producers, DJs and taste-makers we care about to tell us about their 2013; what they've loved, what they've hated, and how the feel looking back on another year in electronic music.
Next up is Monki.After going from intern to prime-time DJ at famed London station Rinse FM, Monki broke out in 2013 with her slot on BBC Radio 1's excellent "In New DJs We Trust" series, and has been touring solidly ever since. Monki stands alongside fellow championed newcomers such as Eclairfifi and Moxie as a new generation of female DJs to follow in the footsteps of stalwarts Annie Mac and Mary Ann Hobbes; who will not only smash every last show and DJ set, but work to (hopefully, finally) redress the gender imbalance in British music broadcasting.Looking back on a stellar year, Monki opens up to THUMP about her memories of this years seemingly endless stream of UK electronic music festivals, and how being teeny-tiny is a DJ's curse.
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2013 has been really fun for me. What I look forward to the most every year is festival season, and 2013 was no exception. One of the early ones in the festival run is Glastonbury, and this year we decided to head down in a motor-home. Long story short, we came home with one window less than we started out with. That weekend was a lot. During festival season I get to stand on an array of different objects, because I'm usually way too small for most set-ups! Here's a list of things I've had to stand on in 2013: a riser, a plastic crate, a create of beer, a box of Red Bull, a wooden table, suitcase and a set of steps.Bestival closes festival season for us in the UK, and there couldn't be a better festival to do it. This year the theme was "HMS Bestival": one of the days I was playing I wore my Arsenal shirt, which lead to being followed around by eight people dressed as David 'Seaman'. During my set they actually broke out two miniature football goals and had a game, while dancing, in the crowd. Madness!That time of year also means Ibiza and 2013 was actually my first time out there, both as a DJ and a punter. Shameful, I know. I went over quite a few times and it was good to see so many mates on a holiday island. I'd never experienced it before, it was all so new to me! One night, as we were coming back from Space, we managed to get stopped by the police because one person in our six seater car wasn't wearing a seatbelt. The police wanted us to hand over 600 euros cash. CASH! I think we got seriously swindled there. Even so, the summer was my favourite part of the year for sure.It's always hard to predict what's going to happen next year. Who would have thought that all the dubstep bros who were moshing in the rave 6 months ago, would be listening to house and fist pumping the night away two years later? Electronic music comes out and evolves so much quicker now; trends change faster, and people want the next thing sooner.If I had to pin down a favourite track of 2013, I reckon I'd go for Tessela - "Hackney Parrot". It just ticks all the boxes for me; the old school drum breaks, the Kathy Brown sample, the quiet, calming break-down, and then that weighty bass line. Smashed it, Tessela! It's managed to fit into everyone's sets, but always stands out. Kind of the perfect tune, huh.