Stories
B12 — Jlin
Sampling the Collection
A maths lover, a former steel factory worker and a proud resident of Gary Indiana, Jlin has risen to become one of the most distinctive composers in America and one of the most influential women in electronic music. Jlin’s introduction to producing music stems from Chicago footwork, but her sound has expanded into complex percussion-driven work. Her career to date has seen her collaborate with SOPHIE, Philip Glass, Björk, William Basinski, Dope Saint Jude, Holly Herndon and Zora Jones.
‘I'm an intuitive creator, so I'm not robotic. I never know what I'm going to do until I sit down and do it. I don't have a blueprint set out for myself, ever.’
‘When I went through the samples I just heard sounds and I was like, what do they want me to do?’
Object No. H9364
‘I heard the Irish harp and I was like, “oh, I know exactly what to do.” And then I started writing. If I'm having to sample something, the sample will tell me what to do.
