J.T., For the record, if I'm saying a record is clearly record of the year, I'm not presuming to speak for others. Apologies if that's not implied. Perhaps 'everyone will love it' is a bit strong, but I didn't think anyone would react so strongly to my enthusiasm for it. If I'm very excited about a record I'll use strong superlatives to describe how much I like it. That's just me and clearly we differ in that regard. If I'm creating hype, so be it. If people listen to what I'm saying and buy a record mindlessly as a result (which I very much doubt, David excepted ;)), then I think of that as a mild drawback compared to the positives of opening people's eyes to (IMO brilliant) music they may not have otherwise heard. Obviously I don't expect everyone will like it as much as I do but I think a good chunk of the people on this list will like it a whole lot. I guess I don't see the harm in that enthusiasm. Mindless consumption will happen in lots of places. If there are a few people consuming underground techno mindlessly (I really don't see that there are a lot who do) and I'm adding to their rank, so be it. If you see my enthusiasm as a fascist squashing of dissenting opinions, you're wrong. One of my least favorite things in the world is people who think they're right.
Also for the record, my response was more directed at Tom's perception that this may be a trend, than your choking on my hype. I've not been this excited about anyone in techno since I don't know when, so perhaps that will make my hype a bit more credible, or maybe it's just more hype. I see the value in comparison. It may not be fair to say one thing is clearly better than the rest, but if it's an accurate assessment of my feelings then I'll say it. Charts and reviews are always tricky but they serve their purpose as recommendation. If there weren't room to compare, rank (and hype), this list would be as flacid and uninstructive as a promo sheet. Tristan ======= http://www.phonopsia.co.uk [EMAIL PROTECTED]
