'Butter Trilogy Pt.2'
A quick look back at Leem Lizzy's (mostly) instrumental project from 2019.
I’ve been a fan of Controllerise member Leem Lizzy for a minute. One of the first things that drew me to his music was the crazy sample flipping on “LaLa” from his self-titled 2018 album. The chops and overall beat blew my mind and I’ve been following his work ever since.
I really appreciate Leem Lizzy’s production on its own. I also appreciate the overall positive, infectious vibes from the many live beat construction/deconstruction videos he posts on a variety of platforms. The man truly lives by the mantra “show your work.” He is incredibly generous with his art, resources, and time.
That said, he is so prolific on IG and elsewhere that I sometimes worry the abundance of good stuff he shares makes it easy to be a lazy fan. It’s important to remember that he also has many albums - in addition to his impressive videos - that deserve a careful listen. With that in mind, I decided to revisit his 2019 release Butter Trilogy Pt.2.
The second instrumental “not so nice” is a great introduction to the hypnotic, slightly off-kilter sound that Leem Lizzy does so well. I love all the different textures - the soothing sample works in perfect contrast to the stuttering drumbeat.
“slip” combines everything from an answering machine beep and video game lazers to a reggae air horn as accents for a very smooth selection. The mixture of crunchy drums and warm samples brings it to another level. The use of stutters and effects helps further ensure an engaging listening journey.
“millz” uses a gorgeous vocal sample as the central building block for a nice bit of head-nodding escapism. This is perfect cool out music for summertime and a really beautiful instrumental that requires repeat listens.
In contrast to “millz,” “crooz” brings a much harder, neck-snapping sound that builds off of a super pitched down vocal and some interesting, varied percussion. Once again Leem Lizzy’s chopping and arrangement skills are on full display.
These are just a few highlights from this compelling project. The album is a great example of how to find a hypnotic groove with sample-based production while also taking risks and combining unconventional elements. Make sure to give it a spin.
And if you’re looking for some insight into how Leem Lizzy creatives these innovative sounds, his video tutorials are a great resource.
If you enjoyed this article, please subscribe to the Micro-Chop newsletter to support independent music journalism.