Following a fair bit of hanging out together at this year’s Convenanza festival, John Matthews has been kindly contributing some cracking pieces to Ban Ban Ton Ton. Here he selects 7 personal highlights from the last 12 months. 

Magical 2025 moments care of the marvellous John Matthews.

Album Of The Year: Oneohtrix Point Never / Tranquilizer

Tranquilizer is Daniel Lopatin’s eleventh album as Oneohtrix Point Never but the first I’ve found thrilling and attention grabbing from the first listen. For a record that could be loosely classified as ambient (there are very few actual beats) it is also very immediate, and I found myself completely immersed in the intricately woven collage of sampled sound. Repetitive glitches, delicate harmonies and short glimpses of wonderful melody ensue at a breathtakingly fast pace, with the celestial mood often ending abruptly to be replaced by a myriad of elements that include a double bass, stuttering synths, trumpets, operatic singing and radio static. Measuring Ruins is one of the most beautiful and stunning pieces of music I have heard in many a year, whilst Waterfalls ends the album with a heart wrenching melody played on what sounds like a harpsichord. It resonates long after the record has finished. I’ve only lived with Tranquillizer for a short time but my gut is already telling me it’s destined to become a classic. 

Single Of The Year: Deeply Armed / The Healing

Hypnotic is the one word I would use to describe Deeply Armed’s brilliant debut single. The Healing is built around a bass line that creates a trance like feel through rhythmic repetition and slowly works its way into your subconscious whilst acoustic guitars, psychedelic keys and military drumming drift in and out of the mix. The single lyric “we bring the feeling, we bring the healing” is recited throughout the song like a mission statement from  the Belfast based band. The first 12” of The Healing came with top drawer remixes from Keith Tenniswood and Andrew Innes (from Primal Scream) whilst  a second 12 was released six months later and featured an almost unrecognisable, but equally brilliant, haunting remix by Richard Fearless. The Healing has set the bar extremely high so I’m massively excited to hear Deeply Armed’s forthcoming single and debut album which are due early next year. Definitely a band to watch out for in 2026.

Compilation Of The Year: Princess P’s Infinite Sonore 

Infinite Sonore is an outstanding set of electronic tracks that is tailor made for my ears and suitably great for both home listening and the dance floor. Swiss DJ Princess P displays real skill and a deep musical knowledge with not only her selections but also the running order, which is designed to make the listening experience feel like a journey rather than a compilation. Numerous electronic genres are covered with highlights including classic tracks and deep cuts by Spacemen 3, LFO, Atypic (The Black Dog) and Natalie Beridge that are provided with a fresh context and new perspective which makes the listener feel as if they hearing them for the first time. For me this is the reason Infinite Sonore is such a special compilation and why it hasn’t left my turntable for pretty much the whole of 2025. The album also features insightful sleeve notes by the late great JD Twitch and there’s an accompanying EP that includes the fantastic, and much underrated, dub of Pleasure by SYT that was originally released in 1992 by Andrew Weatherall’s seminal Sabres of Paradise imprint. 

Reissue Of The Year: Joseph Kamaru / Heavy Combination 1966-2007

I’m cheating slightly here as strictly speaking this is a compilation of tracks by the late Kenyan artist Joseph Kamaru but, by reissuing them as one fantastically designed and curated package, the Disciples label has bought the sound of Kikuyu Benga music to a whole new audience. Including myself. The music is absolutely joyous and includes elements of Afro-funk, Hi Life and disco which are coupled with Joseph Kamaru’s lyrics containing moral and political messages that connected deeply with Kenyan society. Whilst listening to the record, exploring the colourful cover art and reading the intriguing sleeve notes you can’t help but feel this album has curated with a huge amount of care and love so it’s no surprise to learn that it was complied by Joseph Kamaru’s grandson, the sound artist KMRU, in partnership with Disciples. The tracks were carefully remastered from original tape transfers by Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin which only enhances the attention to detail. I will remember 2025 as the year I discovered Joseph Kamaru and I have this wonderful record to thank for opening my ears and mind to the vibrant world of Benga music. 

Event Of The Year: Convenanza 2025

The eleventh edition of Convanenza felt like a pivotal moment for the small boutique festival that is held annually in the medieval French city of Carcassonne. This year was my seventh Convenanza but the first time I really noticed a change in the demographic away from an older mainly British based audience towards a younger, multi national European crowd. It was refreshing to experience the shift in energy the younger dancers bought and this was never more evident than when I departed the castle at midnight, slightly fatigued, on Saturday as 1200 dancers went absolutely crazy to the fast euphoric electronic beats of HAAI. My personal festival highlights included the mighty Holy Tongue playing live, David Holmes’ eclectic Saturday afternoon selection, Irvine Welsh at the White Rabbit Books Literary Salon and Tia Cousins’ inspirational Sunday night closing DJ set that the sadly departed Andrew Weatherall would most certainly have approved of. The 2025 edition of the festival turned out to be one of the best I have attended and the prospect of a younger energetic audience and more new DJs and artists to discover has already got me excited for Convenanza 2026. 

Book Of The Year: Kevin Rowland / Bless Me Father: A Life Story

After reading of two (last minute) aborted attempts in Ted Kessler’s book “Paper Cuts”, I was pretty much resigned to the fact that Kevin Rowland is way too complex a character to unravel his turbulent past and produce the revealing  autobiography that I, as a life long Dexys fan, have spent years waiting for. Fortunately Bless Me Father finally materialised in 2025 and surpassed my expectations. As with his music, Kevin bears his soul as he takes us through his childhood upbringing, the tense relationship he shared with his father (which comes full circle as the two reconnect when Kevin’s father is on his deathbed), his bankruptcy and full on cocaine addiction. The passages where he writes about his sexuality are uncomfortable reading but overall it’s Kevin’s honesty and willingness to be totally transparent that has made this book linger in my memory long after turning the final page. 

Film Of The Year: I Swear

I Swear is a true life British drama about John Davidson who is a Tourette Syndrome activist. The film follows his journey from a misunderstood teenager to being awarded an MBE for campaigning to heighten awareness of Tourette’s (John famously shouted “Fuck the Queen” at the ceremony at Buckingham Palace although it was caused by a tic and wasn’t intentional). I could bang on for ages about how great the script is and how amazing the performances are but my reason for including I Swear in my top 7 is that the film has made a huge lasting impression on me. I entered the cinema knowing very little about Tourette’s but over the course of the following two hours learned a hell of a lot about the syndrome whilst also being thoroughly entertained. Highly recommended but don’t forget to take a handkerchief as tears, of both joy and sadness, are guaranteed.