I was thinking about the best sounding album or song I heard this year, as I've been asked to be a judge for the producer's guild next year. They draw up a shortlist, and I was trying to anticipate what might be on it.

Best sounding album of the year for me was Nine Inch Nails. Reznor has mastered getting across the textures and grace of thing, and the intense bits are always that much harder. It's still all about those drums tho isn't it?

In terms individual tracks, Moderat's 'Bad Kingdom' took me aback (the whole album sounds phenomenal, to be fair). There's something incredible about the eeriness and the huge amount of space he finds that really adds to the impact.

After the amount of time it took, I was a little bit disappointed by the sound of m b v.

What production did it for you this year? Remasters allowed. Feel free to include any disappointments (as they always seem to be the thing I think of first)

p.s. Abbey Road have given us 3 of their lovely new t-shirts to give away. Check 'em out here http://shop.abbeyroad.com I'll pick 3 of you who reply at random to win one of them. Keep an eye out for a note from me asking to find out what size and design you'd like.