Jlin's third studio album, Akoma, branches out even further by adding veteran collaborators and genre bending material. It's her most exciting and thrilling release, daring the listener to wonder if this is being created from another planet.
Jerrilynn Patton, who goes by Jlin, has been creating electronic music that is probably, quite frankly, unlike anything you've heard before. Since her debut album Dark Energy back in 2015, she has combined genres of jazz, hip hop, percussion, and experimental electronic music within the juke and footwork dance scenes based in Chicago, making it even more otherworldly on her follow up Black Origami. The results are futuristic, intricate, and fiery. Collaborating with experimental electronic artists like Holly Herndon and William Basinski not only has given her more appeal to a wider audience but has expanded her sound and has pushed the envelope towards the idea of what electronic music could or should be.
Her new third studio album, titled Akoma, branches out even further by adding veteran collaborators and genre bending material. Ranging from heavyweights like Björk, Kronos Quartet, and Philip Glass, Jlin is playing in the big leagues and as a result, she's knocking these songs out of the park. It has the chaotic, bombastic, percussion heavy production that is to be expected from a Jlin album, but now has even more unique sampling and styles thrown in. It's her most exciting and thrilling release, daring the listener to wonder if this is being created from another planet. Right from the get go you have "Borealis" which features some rapid fire production wizardry, booming bass that might blow your head off, and what I can only assume is some sampling of Björk's vocals shrouded in the background like an alien petering out of a spaceship. It's quite the ride. The same goes for "Speed of Darkness" with a swirling instrumental that sounds as if you've spun out of your hover car on an intergalactic highway. "Summon" has very unique instrumentation and percussion that is organic, matching with the dark and stabbing electronics reminiscent of a horror film soundtrack. "Iris" is another sharp banger with some shimmering high pitched chirps over a bass-heavy caffeine rush.
"Open Canvas" has quirky alien like sounds firing on all cylinders over rapid sampling and percussion that breaks often into unexpected slowed down rhythms. "Challenge" has organic Middle Eastern percussion over some satisfying bass, an instrumental that a rapper would be happy to feast on. "Eye Am" continues that style of percussion into a meditative experience. "Auset" is even more futuristic than the previous tracks and sounds like one hundred laser canons being blasted into a vibrant kaleidoscope. "Sodalite" is fantastic and answers the previously unanswered question of how to perfectly marry electronic and hip hop with chamber classical music. "Grannie's Cherry Pie," an album highlight, is arguably the most playful moment on the entire album. It's light, fluffy, and tasty just like Grannie's cherry pie was intended to be. "The Precision of Infinity" closes the album in glorious fashion by making her signature style match with legendary composer and pianist Philip Glass' notes into pure harmony.
"Akoma" does what we've expected from Jlin and more. The performances are fantastic, the production is colorful, insane and off the wall, while the collaborators and multiple style change ups make it truly an IMAX level experience. Like I said earlier, Jlin knocks it out of the park. As she continues to grow, try new things, hone her craft, make the songs more personal, and collaborate with more and more special artists, Jlin remains an electronic artist to keep tabs on through and through. One of the best albums of the year as well as one of the best electronic albums of the year, "Akoma" is thrilling, exciting, and a glorious sign of the future for electronic music. Plus, did I mention that it sounds amazing on headphones and your car stereo?
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "The Precision of Infinity," "Borealis," "Grannie's Cherry Pie," "Sodalite," "Speed of Darkness," "Eye Am," "Summon"
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