The story of Cameron Reed’s success is almost too good to be true. Local boy done good as it is, the latest signing to the legendary Warp Records could be the tipping point Vancouver has been waiting for.

Reed’s Shaved EP as Babe Rainbow just dropped on Warp and it’s a shimmering mass of sub bass and skeletal dubstep overtures that sounds like it was made somewhere in a swamp of weed and broken delay pedals. It’s a treat then to find out that Cameron has no background in electronic music, taking a DIY approach to a copy of Ableton live and a love of aggressive punk noise and crunk to make something very different.

For one of the co-founders of Vancouver’s legendary Music Waste festival, it just makes sense. Music waste was always the alternative to the now AWOL New Music West festival, a home to the city’s true underground sounds and as beautiful a DIY congregation of events we’ve ever seen. Duck the usual conventions, take a swing at interpreting the sounds in your head and this is what comes up. If you happen to be a web 2.0 guru as well then it helps that much more.

The Babe Rainbow tendency to duck convention is reflected in the recent BR mix-tape release mixed by local icon Rico Uno. Stitching together a selection of Reed’s bootlegs and remixes with the Shaved ep’s best tracks and then topping it off with crunk, reggae and r&b accapella, its as unique a listening experience you’ll have all year. You don’t expect Sizzla to sound so depressed and you don’t expect r&B to sound so future bound at the same time.

With their being a lot of distinct interest in Vancouver’s up and coming underground, it’s happening like the rise of Babe Rainbow that give us hope that we could be in the midst of Vancouver becoming the next Montreal.