- Experimental, Pulitzer Prize-worthy percussion music—a tribute to Jlin.
- For the past few years, RA cover star Jlin has been churning out percussive compositions that sit at the intersection of IDM, trap, mutant techno and sound art. Her tracks are tactile and structurally complex—stacked drums interlock with glistening melodies and heaving basslines on groundbreaking albums like Dark Origami. Her rhythms gracefully crosscut over one another like towering blocks in an architecture sketch for a truly cerebral experience.
Growing up in Gary, Indiana, the former steel factory worker wears many hats. She produces mind-bending club music, usually for Mike Paradinas's label Planet Mu, scores modern dance performances and arranges for instrumental ensembles. Her process of collaboration is deeply symbiotic, as shown on her new EP, Perspective. The acoustic version of the record, written for and performed with Chicago's Third Coast Percussion, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize this year—an unprecedented honour for a dance music artist.
Jlin's style is sometimes described as avant-garde, but modernist is a better word. She originally started out making footwork and despite moving away from it in recent years, the genre's jittery energy still flows through her productions, a testament to her ability to experiment across styles. Being a math whiz only adds to the angular, carefully calculated feel of her production.
In celebration of Jlin's career, Mike Paradinas serves up a 40 minute mix that shows off her range and most importantly, her passion for this music. For more on the artist born as Jerrilynn Patton, read our cover story.
What have you been up to recently?
Playing Dekmantel and MUTEK, running Planet Mu...
How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
In my office, and the idea was to provide a mix for your Jlin feature, as she is a composer and not a DJ.
What's one club or party that had a major impact on you as an artist?
I used to go to the Mambo in Brixton as a teenager... lots of jazz dancing and a great selection of rhythms.
How did you first come across Jlin's music, and what made it stand out to you?
She was part of DJ Roc's clique Bosses Of The Circle when I first heard her music back in late 2010. She messaged me with her tracks over the next year and then appeared on my compilation Bangs & Works Vol. 2 in 2011.
What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to?
Trans rights.
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
Having some of the ice cream in my freezer.
TracklistJlin - Fourth Perspective
Jlin - Iris
Jlin - Borealis
Jlin - Speed Of Darkness
Jlin - Auset
Jlin - Embryo
Jlin - Auset
Jlin - Connect The Dots
Jlin - Summon
Jlin - Paradigm
Jlin - Loc'd & Ready
Jlin - Blue I
Jlin - Unorthodox Elements
Jlin - Tower