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Planet Mu Records
Jlin 'Dark Energy'
£10.99
Planet Mu Records
Jlin 'Dark Energy'
£10.99
As the popularity of Footwork has continued to soar, the range of sounds within the genre has expanded. From the angular, minimal beats of RP Boo to the widely admired sound of sadly departed DJ Rashad, the genre has lovingly seeped into hearts and feet worldwide whilst continuing to innovate. Until now most of the focus has been on the male DJ/Producers, but that is about to change.
Gary based producer Jlin, who some of you might remember for her track 'Erotic Heat' (Bangs and Works Vol.2 - Planet Mu 2011), or from her moment in the mainstream light providing music for fashion designer Rick Owens'FW/14 Paris runway show, is stepping further into the light with a stunning eleven track debut album 'Dark Energy' showcasing her unique and bold new sound.
Gary, Indiana, a neighbouring City to Chicago, is one of those towns people overlook or perhaps expect the worst of. It's famous for the Jackson 5 and its Steel Mills, one of which Jlin works long shifts at. She says her sound and 'the themes behind my tracks are all based off what my creativity absorbs, whether it be bad or good', and the music certainly shows that intent. It's forceful, yet ripples with colour; it's an intense, monolithic sound with rugged rhythms that stop and breathe and roll out in unusual staccato patterns. It's a sound unlike any other out there, one that's fiercely unique. Her track titles are as evocative as the music is intense and hint at deeper themes - 'Black Diamond', 'Guantanamo', 'Abnormal Restriction'.
She notes 'The titles I chose are based off failing and learning.' Album track 'Expand' also features a vocal from another important female artist - respected experimental West Coast producer Holly Herndon whom Jlin has been quietly collaborating with. Her album 'Dark Energy' is so called because of where it came from and how it came to be; the dark monolith on the cover also perfectly encapsulates it - 'This album took my entire life to make.
Every moment in my life lead up to this album. My musical sense of expression comes from sadness, and anger. I can't create from a happy place. It seems pointless in my opinion. I don't make the tracks as much as I feel them. Creating for me is about feeling and impact.'Jlin has been supported by all the key players in the Footwork scene and says she is 'thankful to many.'
2015 feels like the year people are ready for a new voice in Footwork and Jlin is a true original with a hard, yet infectious style and an album that showcases it brilliantly.
2LP
Side A:
1. Black Ballet
2. Unknown Tongues
Side B:
3. Guantanamo
4. Erotic Heat
5. Black Diamond
Side C:
6. Mansa Musa
7. Infrared (Bagua)
8. Ra
Side D:
9. Expand
10. So High
11. Abnormal Restriction
CD:
01. Black Ballet
02. Unknown Tongues
03. Guantanamo
04. Erotic Heat
05. Black Diamond
06. Mansa Musa
07. Infrared (Bagua)
08. Ra
09. Expand
10. So High
11. Abnormal Restriction
Gary based producer Jlin, who some of you might remember for her track 'Erotic Heat' (Bangs and Works Vol.2 - Planet Mu 2011), or from her moment in the mainstream light providing music for fashion designer Rick Owens'FW/14 Paris runway show, is stepping further into the light with a stunning eleven track debut album 'Dark Energy' showcasing her unique and bold new sound.
Gary, Indiana, a neighbouring City to Chicago, is one of those towns people overlook or perhaps expect the worst of. It's famous for the Jackson 5 and its Steel Mills, one of which Jlin works long shifts at. She says her sound and 'the themes behind my tracks are all based off what my creativity absorbs, whether it be bad or good', and the music certainly shows that intent. It's forceful, yet ripples with colour; it's an intense, monolithic sound with rugged rhythms that stop and breathe and roll out in unusual staccato patterns. It's a sound unlike any other out there, one that's fiercely unique. Her track titles are as evocative as the music is intense and hint at deeper themes - 'Black Diamond', 'Guantanamo', 'Abnormal Restriction'.
She notes 'The titles I chose are based off failing and learning.' Album track 'Expand' also features a vocal from another important female artist - respected experimental West Coast producer Holly Herndon whom Jlin has been quietly collaborating with. Her album 'Dark Energy' is so called because of where it came from and how it came to be; the dark monolith on the cover also perfectly encapsulates it - 'This album took my entire life to make.
Every moment in my life lead up to this album. My musical sense of expression comes from sadness, and anger. I can't create from a happy place. It seems pointless in my opinion. I don't make the tracks as much as I feel them. Creating for me is about feeling and impact.'Jlin has been supported by all the key players in the Footwork scene and says she is 'thankful to many.'
2015 feels like the year people are ready for a new voice in Footwork and Jlin is a true original with a hard, yet infectious style and an album that showcases it brilliantly.
2LP
Side A:
1. Black Ballet
2. Unknown Tongues
Side B:
3. Guantanamo
4. Erotic Heat
5. Black Diamond
Side C:
6. Mansa Musa
7. Infrared (Bagua)
8. Ra
Side D:
9. Expand
10. So High
11. Abnormal Restriction
CD:
01. Black Ballet
02. Unknown Tongues
03. Guantanamo
04. Erotic Heat
05. Black Diamond
06. Mansa Musa
07. Infrared (Bagua)
08. Ra
09. Expand
10. So High
11. Abnormal Restriction
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Tracklisting:
Side A
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Side B:
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Jlin’s detailed and meticulous exploration of rhythm’s inner and outer reaches has made her one of the most distinctive and recognisable voices within both the electronic and classical music worlds. Her compositions are consistently appealing and have an accessibility to them, yet often defy expectations. She exists within her own locus solus - no matter the collaborator, no matter where sounds ultimately lead her.
Whatever the situation – from composing the Pulitzer Prize shortlisted ‘Perspective’ for Third Coast Percussion, to ‘Godmother’ her AI-powered collaboration with Holly Herndon, Jlin always expresses her outlook to the fullest.
Her new album ‘Akoma’ sets a new benchmark in her personal road map, not only since the album features guest appearances from Björk, Philip Glass and Kronos Quartet but for her continued sonic persistence and resistance.
Jlin does what Jlin does and it’s beloved across genres, across scenes and across generations. ‘Akoma’ is a new entry point into her sound and a new approach for both those who have been following diligently and those who are just now entering her world.
So how did she get here? Here’s a rundown for those looking for the facts.
She was both a math nerd and a steel factory worker. She got inspired by Footwork and started making tracks with mentorship assistance from RP Boo and DJ Rashad, but her music was far from typical for footwork from the get-go. In 2011, she released her first track ‘Erotic Heat’ on the Planet Mu anthology ‘Bangs & Works Vol.2.’
Fashion designer Rick Owens heard it and invited her to soundtrack his Paris Fashion Week show. Already before an EP or an album Jlin was in new cutting-edge territory. And it hasn’t stopped since. Everyday Jlin wakes up early and clocks into her home studio working hard on new music. Her discipline and craft-like approach means that those who would try to copy her sound simply can’t get to the level she is at.
Since ‘Erotic Heat’ she has released two bold albums, 2015’s ‘Dark Energy’ and 2017’s ‘Black Origami.’ She has also released her soundtrack to Company Wayne McGregor’s dance piece ‘Autobiography’ (2018) and most recently (2023) the mini-album ‘Perspective.’
She’s remixed µ-Ziq, Factory Floor, Ben Frost, Max Richter, Björk, Martin Gore and others. She’s collaborated with Holly Herndon and the late SOPHIE. She’s worked with visual artists Kevin Beasley and Nick Cave. She composed a string quartet for Kronos Quartet and performed with them live in a tribute to Philip Glass. She also recently completed a tribute to Sun Ra with Kronos. ‘Perspective’, her very well received percussion work for Third Coast Percussion has further opened doors for her in classical music. She’s even thinking of one day writing an opera. She had a residency at MassMoca Museum earlier this year (2023).
She’s performed live at Pitchfork Festival, Unsound Festival and too many others to mention. She’s also worked with Indian dancers, Company Wayne McGregor and renowned choreographer/MacArthur Fellow Kyle Abraham. There’s more but you get the picture - she’s working in contexts and in ways that few of her peers are able to. ‘Akoma’ is the next step - all these paths have led to this. We encourage you to tune in.
Tracklisting:
Side A
1. Borealis (ft. Björk)
2. Speed Of Darkness
Side B
4. Summon
5. Iris
6. Open Canvas
Side C
7. Challenge (To Be Continued II)
8. Eye Am
9. Auset
Side D
10. Sodalite (ft. Kronos Quartet)
11. Grannie's Cherry Pie
12. The Precision Of Infinity (ft. Philip Glass) -
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Tracklisting:
Side A:
1. Cloudscape
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6. Kyle
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Side B:
8. Loverboy
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12. EX-P1
13. Bubble Bag -
By now, the story of how Jlin went from working in a steel factory in Gary, Indiana to being one of the most widely appreciated electronic musicians is well known.Visit product page →
'Black Origami' was one of the most reviewed and lauded albums last year.
Seriously prolific and seriously hard-working, she has toured constantly since its May 2017 release and despite being involved in a wide range of projects, still manages to find a balance and 'do some personal healing and growing.'
Here we are over a year later with 'Autobiography,' the score for her collaboration with renowned British choreographer Wayne McGregor arranged by Unsound. This isn't technically her third album (that's due to arrive in 2019 or 2020), but the soundtrack stands up on its own with all the emotional peaks and troughs of a well-sequenced longplayer.
For Jlin, making music for dance is the fulfillment of one of her lifelong dreams - and remarkably, Company Wayne McGregor's performance was the first show she'd ever seen. She describes the process of working with Wayne: 'We first met face to face in October 2016 in a downtown Chicago hotel, talking for about a solid two hours. Immediately, I saw Wayne was very friendly and energetic. He's brilliant, witty, and knows exactly what he wants; an absolute gem to work with.
Before I even started composing for Autobiography, Wayne told me so gently that he trusts me completely with my direction of creating the score. That was the best feeling in the world. I would wake up at two in the morning and work until six in the evening until I completed all the pieces. We were both very happy with the outcome. Creating the score for an impeccable piece of work such as Autobiography changed my life as an artist.' 'Autobiography' is a highlight in an evolving and growing career.
During the last year, Jlin has also become an in-demand remixer, securing her place among a roster of music heavyweights. Unsurprisingly, given her positive and outgoing nature, she also developed friendships with the artists she has remixed such as Björk, Max Richter and Ben Frost. Jlin will be touring with Company Wayne McGregor performing 'Autobiography' this year in addition to completing a commission for the Kronos Quartet titled 'Little Black Book.'
She still approaches every performance 'with the same attitude of doing my best to execute a good show, no more, no less. Doing my best is what's most important to me.' She also still lives in Gary, Indiana, which keeps her grounded. She notes with her typical humility, 'The local community is a little more knowledgeable of me now. But I don't mind my community taking its time.'
Tracklisting:
Side A:
1. 1st Overture (Spiritual Atom)
2. Annotation
3. Carbon 12
Side B:
4. Unorthodox Elements
5. Anamnesis (Part 1)
6. The Abyss Of Doubt
7. Mutation
Side C:
8. First Interlude (Absence Of Measure)
9. Permutation
10. Kundalini
Side D:
11. Anamnesis (Part 2)
12. Blue I
13. Second Interlude(The Choosing)
CD:
1. 1st Overture (Spiritual Atom)
2. Annotation
3. Carbon 12
4. Unorthodox Elements
5. Anamnesis (Part 1)
6. The Abyss Of Doubt
7. Mutation
8. First Interlude (Absence Of Measure)
9. Permutation
10. Kundalini
11. Anamnesis (Part 2)
12. Blue I
13. Second Interlude (The Choosing)
Release Date: 28/09/2018
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