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Lazerbeak – Lava Bangers II
Ten years ago, Aaron Mader, AKA Lazerbeak, dropped Lava Bangers—a 20-track exhibition of underground hip-hop power and maximalism. Like Run the Jewels’ El-P, Lazerbeak landed devastating punches with his beats, creating bangers in the purest sense of the word and capturing the attention of superstar-in-the-making Lizzo. Since producing the “About Damn Time” star’s entire debut album, Lizzobangers, Lazerbeak has lent his high-energy excellence to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s The Hamilton Mixtape, Banks’ III, Trampled By Turtles’ Wild Animals Remixes, as well as a slew of collaborations with the Doomtree collective.
With his solo work, Lazerbeak has recently adopted a more minimalist approach. The joys of becoming a father of three combined with the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rest of the world’s chaos necessitated a curiosity toward mindfulness for the producer, leading to a trio of albums named after his children. These seven-track records lean more on ambience than ambition, peace than punch, space than speed. Instead of throwing in “everything and the kitchen sink” on these projects, Lazerbeak exhibits maturity and restraint by stripping it all away to focus on the barest of essentials.
Now ten years removed from his first beat tape and having scratched the ambient itch, Lazerbeak is ready to return to the anthemic instrumentals he first became known for. His newest project, Lava Bangers II (out this November from Doomtree Records), is a 20-track victory lap of sorts showcasing Beak’s myriad talents behind the boards. “It sums up the artist I am right now,” the producer says. “It’s everything from dance music, house, electronic. Of course, there’s still some hardcore hip-hop and nods to the ‘80s and ‘90s R&B that I love.” It would be reductive to call Lava Bangers II a return to form. Instead, it’s a marriage of all the producer’s lessons learned, a culmination of a musical journey marked by curiosity, joy, and passion.
Opening track “Inner Winner” recalls the buzzing ‘80s synths of The Human League but a few notches funkier. Meanwhile, “Hardwood Classic” is an unmistakable nod to ‘90s freestyle complete with orchestra hits that conjure images of Shaquille O’Neal bringing down the backboard. Whereas 2012’s Lava Bangers is unrelenting with its hard-hitting hooks, the sequel takes a broader definition of banger, leaving room for mindfulness and meditation to coexist with movement and expression. “Rain Delay” exemplifies this well, as the frantic rhythms of everyday life are in perfect harmony with the penetrating calm of warm horn samples and tearful synthesizers. While it’s easy to turn on a beat tape like this and zone into your workout or morning drive, the layers and textures of Lava Bangers II are a delight for the engaged listener. “I think there’s so much in here,” Lazerbeak says. “So many change-ups, so many ideas—you could really tap into it and ride the roller coaster.”
For all the ear candy and excellence in production Lazerbeak exemplifies on this project, his greatest strength is his passion and belief that music is essential in times of struggle. “I think the thing I learned the most during the pandemic is when all the show money went away, my need to make music never wavered. I needed to do this more than ever because this is what fills me up.”
That need to create music for creation’s sake shines through on every one of these 20 tracks. From the heavenly gospel-inspired “On the Sparrow” to the pop-funk glory of “Decades” (someone get Lizzo back on the phone), every rhythm, groove, and harmony is held with care. In a time when the cracks of our world are, “Showing everywhere,” as Beak puts it, Lava Bangers II is an energizing invitation to be present and dance, recapturing the joy of yesterday and holding onto the hope of a healthier future.
“Great shit…Sometimes it’s got a Flying Lotus edge to it, sometimes a sensible Jay-Z via Kanye West-produced soul sample…solid stuff.” – Consequence of Sound
“7.2…Fine-hewn production provides a compelling pop thrill.” – Pitchfork
“Lazerbeak is a great producer with a developed sonic palette and deft skills in assembling songs from multiple samples and beats.” – PopMatters
