Ok, so I assumed that being messy clouds your judgement of the music. I take that back. What I find is that a lot of people get carried away in a club when a legend is behind the decks and the crowd is going wild to every track (regardless of its quality). I think a key element of techno is being in the club environment when everything is kicking off and the atmosphere is electric. A good atmosphere can make a poor dj sound infinitly better IMO. Thats why people still insist on seeing CJ Bolland play @ Orbit (!) cos he pulls in the noisy crowd.

Agreed; Sims' does play a lot of tribal loopy techno (which on its own isn't awe-inspiring) but his beat juggling, scratching and record manipulation is second to none in the techno world (even Claude Young is messy in comparison). It's his technical "prowess" that makes him so varied and imaginative. Maybe it helps that he came from a hip-hop background.

I know what you mean about Beyer, but like Beltram & Mills before him he heralded a new style of techno. I think his productions are top notch and let's be honest who hasn't got at least a couple drumcodes. His djing is maybe a little stagnant (or clean-cut) but he is consistant and plays some real choice tracks. Everytime I've seen him he has totally blown me away...he seems to hold the beat so that you just have to keep dancing harder, he never lets the crowd rest.

I can't compare Richie's djing to his plastikman act cos I've never witnessed it....but i'm sure you're right. Soul-less tracks....hmmm.... i might get some shit for saying this but, i've never really thought of techno as being soulfull (maybe early detroit). Don't get me wrong, I love techno, but its more rhythmical and tribal, produced using machines.