Andy Crysell’s year has been defined by exploring the systems shaping today’s creative industries while taking in films, music and podcasts that challenge familiar narratives. Alongside releasing his own book, Selling the Night, he’s been inspired by independent voices, standout live moments and the ongoing work of resurfacing overlooked cultural stories.

What have you been reading this year?

Liz Pelly’s Mood Machine, W. David Marx’s Blank Space: A Cultural History Of The Twenty-First Century and Andrew deWaard’s Derivative Media: How Wall Street Devours Culture all got me thinking about the structures and systems that now drive the creative industries. Kind of depressing stuff, but fascinating too, and makes the need for better, fairer alternatives all the more clear.

Any new favourite films/TV programmes?

Seth Rogen’s The Studio was a fabulous take on Hollywood’s artistic collapse and swing to risk aversion and IP obsession. More recently, the Move Ya Body: The Birth Of House film. I wasn’t sure I needed to hear much else about this origin story but it presents it well – not least the music’s place as disco’s ‘revenge’ and re-centring its Black and queer foundations.

Any new favourite tracks, records or releases from the year?

Good things on Rhythm Section International, Running Back, Dark Entries, ESP Institute and Music From Memory come to mind. Stochastic Drift by Barker found some creative space of its own in dub techno. Also nice to see Earl Sweatshirt back on such distinctive form with Live Laugh Love.

Have you been listening to any podcasts, audiobooks or radio shows?

I often walk past The Lot Radio’s little shipping-container home in Brooklyn. I gather they’ve had issues with the NYC authorities this year but good to see them still going – still platforming great DJs, familiar and not-so-familiar; and a nice cafe to go with it.

I’ve really liked The Culture Journalist podcast this year, run by a couple of ex-Vice journalists, I think. Consistently interesting commentary on independent culture and the battles it faces.

Heard any standout DJ sets or been to memorable parties or events in 2025?

Parties by/events at Lucky Cloud, ALFOS, MoMA PS1, ADE, 528 Ibiza, Public Records, Refuge and Pioneer Works. Thinking of something quite recent, I’ve caught Jeff Mills’ latest iteration of Tomorrow Comes The Harvest a couple of times in NYC and Europe. Often, when techno DJs decide it’s time to go live and cos-play at jazz, the results are… mixed. But this is highly mesmerising.

Have you found any new sources of inspiration or creativity over the last year?

Good excuse to mention my other book release, No Way Back. It’s a curation project, bringing together long-lost music and subculture journalism from titles ranging from Village Voice and New Statesman to Smash Hits and Sounds. We’ve had a lovely response to issue one (second one coming early in 2026), including from lots of DJs, producers and label founders.

It’s been a source of inspiration in terms of resurfacing this material and revisiting these brilliant stories, but also in thinking about the throughlines to today and to what comes next. In other words, making sure this is more than just an exercise in nostalgia – hence our strapline ‘learning from, not longing for, the past’.

What are your reflections on your book now that it’s out? Has anything surprised you?

Perhaps obvious in hindsight, but I’m struck by how much it was a project of two halves. The first half – despite interviewing lots of people – felt pretty solitary; a lot of typing and a lot of hours staring at very, very long Google docs. Second half – I’ve got to talk about the book in so many inspiring settings; it’s given me cause to meet lots of fascinating people; I’ve learnt so much from my conversations with them.

Any general reflections on 2025?

It feels like about the fifth year in a row that we said it’s a year like no other. Perhaps we need to reset our expectations of what a normal year is. Geopolitics and late-stage capitalism have for sure thrown their worst at us again, but – and perhaps I’m deluded – you sense people are now getting more motivated to piece together better ways of living and working, even if the big stuff feels immovable.

On a sadder note, it was terrible to lose JD Twitch. I really think he’ll be remembered among the absolute DJ greats.

What are you looking forward to in 2026?

New projects. Really exciting ones. Just need to work out what they are.