Honestly, I don't see how you could classify the Mad Eye stuff as minimal. I get why you would, but its arugably harder than anything he's done since he and henrik b did the drumcode 2lp. The whole minimal movement started long before he did. I'd have to pinpoint Hawtin as being the most infuential DJ for the trend (who is now beginning to play harder and harder again every day). Most Beyer fans I know (close-minded ones mind you) are actually uspet with Adam's direction as a DJ.

Also, as for the comment about the "ex-techno" jocks playing top 40 minimal tunes, 9 times out of 10 they're probably the same people who were playing the top 40 hard techno tunes. For me personally, I think the top 40 minimal tunes are the most popular stuff for a reason. They're usually the top of the crop, and the amazing releases that float by the public ear are usually gems to the bin-diggers. Just like any genre of music.

I agree with you for the most part and disagree on some things. I think some people are too quick to point fingers, and/or believing the hype too much. I also think a lot of people think these aforementioned DJs are just "abandoing" the harder music completely when that isn't the case. Hawtin, Beyer, all those popular big time DJs will play a harder record if its good and different. Unfortunately the fact is, the hard techno coming out these days is the worst its ever been. On top of it, there's such a small amount of it coming out that there isn't many good ones that come out a year. Another quick point to consider is that these are the same DJs who play out 2+ times a week, 52 weeks a year. When you beat out hard techno 150+ times a year all over the world for 5-6 years straight obviously for most it's not going to have the same impact it did in the beginning.