Quick Hitters:: Babe Rainbow Shaved EP

Did you know that the Olympics are about to start and the world spotlight will be shining on Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler for the next three weeks? Obviously if you own a TV, read a newspaper or have a computer, you've been inundated with coverage over the last few weeks and it's only going to get worse.

I know a mid-level music blog isn't the place for political pontification, but I'm one of the few that don't see the two week athletic combination as a great thing for the city or the country. Without a doubt, Vancouver is the most beautiful place I've ever lived, but there's a darker side to Vancouver that once you've seen it, you can't ignore. It's all well and good to show off the best side of Vancouver and the surrounding areas, but people in the city are trying to sweep the unsightly elements (and the "unsightly people") under the rug.

That's why the release of Cameron Reed's - a.k.a. Babe Rainbow - Shaved EP seems incredibly timely. Instead of rays of sunshine reflected around the glass city and pristine mountains and ocean views, Reed's self described "surf step" sound moves slowly, hidden by the shadows. The songs take on the feel on the city and even though they might not be the picturesque images outsiders associate with Van-city, they are just as beautiful and more realistic (just listen to Tummy Sticks to hear what I mean).

By no means am I a dub step expert and any meaningful comparisons I try to come up would simply be an exercise in name dropping that would ultimately fall short, but when I sit down with this 7-song effort I get hit with a swell of emotion. The rubber band bass lines and echo filled drum claps that make up the foundation of Screwby are captivating, as are the atmospheric electronics that grab your ear on the opener, Popcommon. The gentle, uplifting feel Cameron subtly adds to offset the unsettling undercurrents and harrowing vocals of Care shows a complexity you might not expect in such stripped down arrangements.

Right now we all seem focused on showing the world what we have to offer, and musically that's just what Shaved does. Reed's unique spin on dub step is entrenched in the gutters of the city, but still manages to walk alongside the ocean side beauty of Vancouver, and really gives Canadian dub stepping producers something to strive towards.

BONUS:
Just so this post isn't all doom and gloom, it's worth pointing out that Babe Rainbow and Rico Uno have a pretty killer mixtape out as well. This collabo (with help from fellow Vancouverites, Basketball) is a bit more uplifting and melodic and shows another side to Reed's compositions.

Babe Rainbow X Basketball X Rico Uno - Proper Feeling

MP3:: Babe Rainbow - Screwby
MYSPACE:: http://www.myspace.com/bbrnbw
TUMBLR:: http://baberainbow.tumblr.com/
BUY:: http://warp.net/records/babe-rainbow

Labels: Babe Rainbow, Music, Quick Hitters, Vancouver