techno production (2000-2004) compared to todays sound....

[Radic]

what are the main differences in your opinion between techno production from around 2000-2004 to today's techno?

I'm not talking about the style of music or anything like that, just the actual techniques used. I ask this cuz i own 2 or 3 hundred ep's from that era and whenever i pull them from their shelves for a mix each ep has a sound from that era that i find totally distinguishable from today's sound.

were more people making techno with mpc's from that era?
does tape have anything to do with it?
is it because so much of todays production incorporates so much digital?

so yeah the key factors. your opinions please
(maybe i should have posted this in the production forum, my apologies)