A math lover, former steel factory worker, and proud resident of Gary, Indiana, Jlin (née Jerrilynn Patton) has become one of the most distinctive composers in America and one of the most influential women in electronic music. Jlin’s signature sound builds on the Chicago footwork style of her origins, expanding to embrace diverse influences (ranging from Igor Stravinsky and Philip Glass to Miles Davis and Eartha Kitt) that give her complex percussion-driven work a sophisticated polyrhythmic sound that is all its own.
Jlin’s thrilling, emotional, and multidimensional compositions have earned her praise as “one of the most forward-thinking contemporary composers in any genre” (Pitchfork). Jlin was a 2023 Pulitzer Prize nominee for Perspective – originally commissioned and performed by Third Coast Percussion. Her albums Dark Energy (2015) and Black Origami (2017) received critical acclaim and have been featured in “best of” lists in The New York Times, The Wire, LA Times, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Vogue.
Referencing a wide range of musical movements and techniques, Jlin has collaborated with contemporary artists including William Basinski, Dope Saint Jude, Holly Herndon, Zora Jones, and the late, iconic SOPHIE. She has remixed works for major artists including Björk, Max Richter, Martin Gore (of Depeche Mode), Galya Bisengalieva, Marie Davidson, Nina Kraviz, Ben Frost, and others. In the last decade, Jlin has been commissioned by the Kronos Quartet, Third Coast Percussion, the Pathos Quartet, legendary choreographers Wayne McGregor & Kyle Abraham, and fashion designer Rick Owens. Jlin was named a 2023 USA Artists Fellow.
Her latest album, Akoma (Planet Mu), was released on March 22, 2024 and features collaborations with Philip Glass, Björk, and Kronos Quartet.