Billy Lemos has an ear for what works. The 24-year-old Iowa-born, LA-based producer pieces together songs instinctively, understanding genres not for what they are but what he thinks they could be. Elements of alternative guitar pop are pushed through R&B and hip-hop gears; the byproduct is a loose, textural wildstyle that prioritizes unpredictable melodies and hooks. The shapeshifting personality of his music comes from relentless, well-curated collaboration. Lemos’ 2020 breakthrough debut, Wonder — which certified him as “one of the Midwest's brightest rising beatmakers, per The Fader — invited a dozen guests across its potent tracklist, with parts done remotely. To manifest new material, Lemos embraced in-person sessions in Los Angeles, letting the tone, structure, and vocal performances unfold from scratch with the spontaneity and hands-on dynamics of a shared creative space. His favorite moments from two years of recording make up Control Freak, a seven-track EP presenting the next level for Billy Lemos, realized with the help of a wide-ranging cast: annonXL, Bickleboy, binki, Dua Saleh, Harve, KALI, MTMBO, Nana Lourdes, Sam Austins, and spill tab. Lemos says, “In a way, the title is ironic, as this is the most selfless record I’ve made. We made decisions together about where mixes should sit and how songs should be structured.” A collection of anti-pop songs, refined and streamlined yet gritty and tactile, as detailed as the seven distinct key designs on its artwork. By pairing his savvy curatorial and sonic impulses with his trust in the voices and visions of others, Lemos opens a door to exciting possibilities and adventurous cohesion.

Lemos' path as a producer began in his bedroom as a teenager in the early 2010s, first dabbling in dubstep before he found the burgeoning lo-fi beat scene in 2016. From there, Lemos arrived at a hybrid sound that straddled that world and the indie pop terrain of his favorites like Dirty Projectors, Steve Lacy, and Vampire Weekend (Rostam would later handpick Lemos to remix 2021 track "From the Back of the Cab"). "It just sort of happened," he says of his uncalculated ascent. Even early on, collaborations were an integral part of the project. With Wonder, he formalized the collective aspect of his craft, and with Control Freak, he furthered it fully and tangibly. "All the artists on this EP make music I genuinely love and believe in." Lemos also enlisted the talents of Lars Staflors (St. Vincent, Soccer Mommy, HEALTH, Dorian Electra) and Edmund Irwin-Singer (of Glass Animals) to mix several tracks, and Grammy-nominated mastering engineer Ryan Schwabe (Baauer, Oneohtrix Point Never, Nick Hakim) to master the record.

Control Freak begins with “No Place Here,” a tender flip of annonXL’s “SO MOTE IT BE.” The Philadelphia-based R&B singer is known for their explorations of identity through vocal experimentation; the pitched-up, acapella presence of the original track radiates even brighter over the lush, percussive sound design here. There’s something otherworldly and sweet at play. “I knew it was something special right away,” says Lemos. The feeling continues on “Good As Gold” featuring guitar and vocals from London’s Richie Matembo aka MTMBO. An exercise in pacing, the track assembles in parts; an isolated vocal intro meets a drum pattern that fills the rhythm with urgency. “Whatever I leave behind is all yours,” sings Matembo before the floor drops out, crashing against a burst of breakbeats.

Thrashing at the center, “COCKPIT” and “Secrecies” signify the furthest Lemos has evolved since Wonder. The frenetic former starts smoothly with spill tab, aka LA-based French Korean singer-songwriter Claire Chicha, locking lines into a slow-jam loop from London artist Harve. It shifts drastically halfway through; an abrasive, burbling synth bassline clears the path for Baraka Ongeri, aka binki, who sends rapid-fire bars above a menacing post-punk beat. Presiding over all the patchwork is Lemos, able to see how the disparate parts fit together as one cohesive expression. He keeps the muscular strums charging into “Secrecies,” which finds Detroit’s Sam Austins responding to a beat Lemos shared at end of a session. Captured in a few takes, the track possesses a raw energy and immediacy they knew not to mess with.

The back half of Control Freak reveals more left-of-center pop personalities; for “Going On,” Lemos flips a demo from Atlanta’s Bickle, adding vocal cuts from Portuguese artist Nana Lourdes, collaging a bright and buoyant slice of sampledelia. “Everything needed to sound like it was being pulled from different sources,” he says. A melodic guitar phrase simmers over stuttering drums on “Concentrate,” one of the first of many ideas tracked between Lemos and Minneapolis-based, Sudanese-American artist Dua Saleh. “Baby for you I might leave the window open,” Saleh delivers on the deftly crafted hook.

Lemos saves the EP’s most poignant statement for last, warping sounds and textures around guitar and vocals from budding 17-year-old songwriter KALI. “On Your Own” is subdued and strangely beautiful, a proper close to a far-reaching collection. Throughout his career, Lemos has demonstrated a willingness to share space and decentralize creative egos to unlock the best possible outcome. The prolifically collaborative and playfully titled Control Freak is further proof the approach simply works.