Babe Rainbow – Endless Path EP (2011) [Warp] // Grade: A-

The first rule of Babe Rainbow: Whatever you expect, you’re probably not going to get it. Whether it’s ambient original tracks, screwed mixtapes, schizo remixes or creeped-out videos, Vancouver producer Cameron Reed is constantly pushing the boundaries of experimentation and emotional response. Latest EP Endless Path sidesteps the murky chill of last year’s Shaved in favor of a warmer, crisper electronic vibe; and though the end result is no less ominous, Reed’s wandered through a new set of shadows to get there.

Think of these tracks like disconnected pieces in one anomalous whole. The cascading strings and wonky jitter of a song like “It’s All Happening” have little to do, on the surface, with the sunlit beats of “Set Loose” (originally intended for Lil B) or fogged-forest echo of “Chains”, but they manage to complete each other in all the abstraction. Rather than stand static in a singular moment, Reed seems to be taking us on a tour through his headspace; here, watery and encompassing hip-hop. There, an abandoned warehouse.

But most notable about Endless Path (and everything Babe Rainbow, for that matter) is Reed’s impeccable way with production and sound design. Even at its darkest, the EP is needle-point precise; not a sound exists that doesn’t undeniably contribute to the song’s point of view. And if the intent isn’t always clear — is this an interlude? a beat exploration? — the emotion is set in steel. You’ll feel something listening to Endless Path. But it’s probably the direct opposite of what you thought you would.

- Rue Sauvage