Jlin is the recording alias of
Jerrilynn Patton, an electronic music producer from Gary, Indiana. Initially associated with Chicago's footwork scene, her music evolved far beyond that style, exploring unheard rhythms and placing her in a category of her own. Her debut album, 2015's
Dark Energy, was filled with twisted, volatile tracks that seemed far more concerned with venting frustration, anger, and depression than providing dancefloor fodder. The album was an immediate, unexpected success, causing her to quit her job as a steel mill worker and pursue music full-time. One of the most acclaimed experimental electronic artists of the 2010s, she has shared the stage or collaborated with artists such as
Björk,
Ben Frost, and
William Basinski. Additionally, she has ventured into contemporary dance, composing the music for
Wayne McGregor's
Autobiography, which premiered in 2017. Her 2021 EP
Embryo contained a track written for a performance piece by
Third Coast Percussion.
Patton began producing music in 2008, and while her early tracks relied on heavily manipulated soul samples (as is common with the genre), her mother encouraged her to find her own voice. Her subsequent material featured samples from horror films such as Mommie Dearest (1981), but she otherwise largely abandoned samples.
Jlin first reached the public's consciousness in 2011 when her tracks "Erotic Heat" and "Asylum" were included on
Planet Mu's Bangs & Works, Vol. 2 compilation of the Chicago juke/footwork sound, which also included tracks by
DJ Rashad & Gant-Man,
DJ Clent,
RP Boo,
Traxman, and other notable producers from the scene. A few
Jlin tracks appeared on online footwork compilations, but her debut release didn't arrive until March of 2015, when
Planet Mu released her first full-length,
Dark Energy, which included a collaboration with experimental electronic artist
Holly Herndon. The album was an immediate critical success, earning rave reviews from numerous publications, including Pitchfork, FACT, and Resident Advisor.
Dark Energy was eventually included on a multitude of year-end best-of lists, and was named Album of the Year by both The Quietus and The Wire. A follow-up EP titled
Free Fall also appeared on
Planet Mu that November.
Patton subsequently quit her job as a steel mill worker in order to concentrate on writing music and touring. In 2016, she remixed
Factory Floor's song "Wave" and released a few songs online, teasing her second album. The
Dark Lotus EP appeared in February of 2017.
Jlin's highly anticipated sophomore full-length,
Black Origami, arrived in May, and included a collaboration with composer
William Basinski. Also in 2017,
Patton embarked on a project in collaboration with British choreographer
Wayne McGregor, soundtracking a dance performance piece called
Autobiography; the performance was designed to replicate aspects of the human genome.
Jlin's soundtrack was eventually given a physical release in 2018, again on
Planet Mu. She remixed songs by
Björk,
St. Vincent, and
Max Richter, and appeared on
Herndon's 2019 album
PROTO.
Jlin kept busy writing music for commissioned projects, including collaborations with
Kronos Quartet and choreographer Kyle Abraham. She released the EP
Embryo in late 2021, containing the title track, written for Chicago-based ensemble
Third Coast Percussion, as well as production elements recalling the futurism of vintage Detroit techno. ~ Paul Simpson