Four Tet,The Guardian,The Wire

Is Alexis Petridis thinking of me in his review of Four Tet's new album:

His early releases attracted a strain of critical praise that could instil in
the average reader a burning desire to get as far away from Four Tet's early
releases as is physically possible - regrettable phrases like "turntablism" and
"heavily influenced by free jazz" were bandied about with regularity. However,
by the time of his third full-length album, 2003's Rounds, Hebden had honed his
disparate influences into something that might appeal beyond subscribers to the
Wire magazine and the kind of weblog-writing wonk who even as you read this is
hastening to their laptop to type a pithy 300,000-word riposte, angrily
explaining how a musical diet of turntablism and free jazz has made them the
barrel of laughs they are today.

Well, I'm not sure I'll reach the 300,000 word mark but... What point is Petridis trying to make here? That to be influenced by free jazz is boring? (I don't think Hebden's albums necessarily reflect his listening habits. That's what makes his work so good. To be influenced by a thousand artists and to sound like a new one is the test of anyone who dares to write music in today's age. With this age of over-exposure and with every song that has ever been recorded at our fingertips you better make sure your music is good, boy).

There are certainly moments where the album slips into abstruse indulgence
- the fly-against-a-windowpane racket pioneered by Squarepusher, and another
strong contender for the most boring music of all time title.

Forgive me for championing progression and Promethean sensibilities but I would rather listen to Squarepusher than some of the turgid tosh Petridis pretends to like in his saccharine reviews. Nice job if you can get it.
So...Petridis needs to be reminded, it is better to be boring than to be the cause of boredom in others (Hitchens). I'll confess that I subscribe to The Wire. But to read The Wire does not make me a 'Wire reader'. I'll confess that I 'dig' free jazz and Petridis, as a music critic is entitled to poor opinions in order to make a name for himself. Well done Alexis. Well done...

Four Tet