In relation to Beltram, I wouldn't agree that he is the sole creator of hard techno either but lets be fair, he has been influential in many ways. He's made tonnes of hard techno, many of them classics. I think it's the fact that he had a different kind of energy and funk to everyone else somehow makes people disassociate him with hard techno or say that it's just the "Beltram sound".. whatever way you look at it though, A LOT of it was hard techno.

And as for hardcore, come on? He was a big name on the hardcore scene.

In terms of European hard techno producers shaping today's sound then sure, that's the way it has gone in many respects. We're going back a bit in time here though, when your Surgeons/Beyers/Liebings hadn't even started out. There's few pioneering or well known hard techno producers of the last number of years that wouldn't have a fond Beltram memory or indeed have been influenced in some way.. it's virtually impossible.