I have many many influences and agree that it is important to listen to LOTS of music.
my main influences
Amon Tobin, Aphex Twin, Autechre, download/skinny puppy, Meat Beat Manifesto, Scorn, Kid 606, DJ Krush, the Melvins, Nels cline (as member of jazz groups, not Wilco), Sun Ra, Miles Davis bitches brew era, King Crimson, Rush, John Zorn, Justin K Broaderick (godflesh/jesu/techno animal), Trey Spruance, Mike Patton, Omar Rodriguez Lopez, the Herbaliser, MF Doom, Kool Keith, there are probably some others I'm forgetting but that's off the top of my head and doesn't even include my metalhead influences.
to a lesser extent: NIN, Ministry, Orbital were acts in the nineties that really made me want to make music as a younger guy. I still love that stuff, but it doesn't really affect my music making that much now (although I still covet some of the production abilities all those guys have!). I also really like Rob Crow related projects, especially his earlier stuff, which has been some of my more listened to tracks in my library (thingy, heavy vegetable, older pinback). the first two major chemical bros releases were also inspirations to get into electronic music. also I had a couple of friends in high school that got me into music; and my older sister was an influence since she had a lot of music, and took me to a college to see the production dept and mics, tape recorders etc, in the late 80s.
this makes me feel old, but I think it was Larry Lalonde (Primus guitarist) and Tommy Victor (Prong) who made me want to play guitar when I was 17. still two of my favorite guitarists.
