Vancouver's Babe Rainbow made his debut for Warp Records (Aphex Twin, Hudson Mohawke, Autechre to name a few gems on the Warp roster) in 2010 with the Shaved EP, and graced Mutek 2011 with a left-field set that left those present unsure of whether they should dance or take in the performance as they would a philosophy book. Shortly after Mutek, Warp released Babe Rainbow's second EP, entitled Endless Path.
If listeners weren't in awe after Shaved, Endless Path definitely cements Babe Rainbow's status as one of Canada's most progressive electronic musicians. Incorporating elements of hip-hop, garage and straight experimental grooves, his second EP completes the narrative that Shaved introduced.
Boasting eight tracks in total (two bonus tracks are included on the digital-only release on top of the first six), Babe Rainbow explores quite a range of sonic territory. "Set Loose" immediately grabs the listener as one of the more approachable tracks on the EP, the pitched-up samples invite the listener to a surreal realm of spacey samples and patches–a track the sun might choose to accompany it while peering through windows in the early morning hours.
Flowing right into the EP's fourth track, "Greed," Babe Rainbow delves into the world of hip-hop. Featuring Young Clova from G-Side, Babe Rainbow's loose introduction of metallic melodies flows for a minute and half before eerily complementing a verse from the Alabama-based rapper–demonstrating the producers varied talents by pushing experimentalism in a genre that has been desperately tied to verse-hook-verse-hook structure by so many uninspired rap producers.
The remainder of Endless Path holds further eerie experimental tracks, the droning of "Bounty" and "Chains" contrast the more direct lyrical approach of "Greed" with emotive harmonies and melodies. Babe Rainbow has fully submerged himself in a pool of fresh perspectives that hold much potential for the future.
You can buy Babe Rainbow's Endless Path EP at the following online retailers:
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