Chevron: Tuff Shite EP

Jonathan Valentine (a.k.a. Chevron, your town rave) is the most hardcore IDM producer ever to come from Lancashire, England. His debut album for Planet Mu, Everything’s Exactly the Same lit up 2005 with a blissfully insane mix of breakcore, jungle, Super Mario 3, glitch downtempo, noise, and sheer lunacy (check the “We Wish You a Merry X-mas” reimagining in “Rudi the Techno Pioneer”). It was extreme then, and it’s classic now. However, with the exception of a 12-inch single and a mix or two, we haven’t heard boo from him since. Germany’s Ad Noiseum kicked off 2008 with style when they announced the release of a brand new Chevron EP, set as a teaser for his upcoming sophomore record. Judging from the six tracks plucked from dozens that constitute the Tuff Shite EP, Lifestyle is going to blow up the scene in all the right ways. “Renegade Cherryade” is one of the most intelligent drum and bass cuts you’re likely to hear this year. Like good LSD, it comes on slowly, with shallow synth play floating precise melodies over each other. Then a midrange growl turns it up a notch and an Amen break kicks you in the face ’til you can’t help but bang that shit. “Nigel Mansell” is a future classic acid track, destined to climb the all time ranks. It takes the genre’s average 303 squelch and turns it into a heavy metal riff so slickly you’d think it was sponsored by Exxon. Listening to those two alone will guarantee you’ll buy into the Lifestyle. Set your face for it or run away crying like a little girl.