So it's been twenty years since the Blissblogger started making a living from music journalism? Good god. Y'know back in the pre-internet stone age I call the '80s, writers like Simon were a lifeline for people like me. Through his writing at Melody Maker he regularly inspired and enthralled with his energetic (but never hyperbolic) frothings, giving me glimpses of fascinating futures and tickling my imagination with his keen descriptive language. It seemed that, wherever new innovative music was being made, Simon would be there to cover it. Although I wouldn't say he entirely shaped my tastes, he certainly helped guide me down certain paths, and often re-affirmed that which I already believed (such as his brief but totally on-the-money reference to Martin Rushent's Human League in the above Mantronix review, at a time when nobody was saying anything good about that sound). Although I would never consciously try to emulate his style of writing, I suppose that inevitably it must have influenced my own work here at Gutterbreakz. The very fact that I started blogging in the first place was because I was inspired by his work at Blissblog, along with other pioneers like Woebot, K-Punk, etc.
Anyway, I don't wanna lick his arse all night, so just to say congratulations on making it this far mate, and keep the inspirations coming. Thanks for the 'Spirals Tribe' link by the way (haha, good one) - I always get a shitload of extra hits whenever I get a mention at Blissblog!
