Black Origami
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''Black Origami'' is the second album by American producer
Jlin Jerrilynn Patton (born July 30, 1987), known as Jlin, is an electronic musician. She began producing music in 2008 and received early attention for her 2011 track "Erotic Heat". Jlin's debut album, ''Dark Energy'', was released in 2015 to criti ...
, first issued for streaming on May 11, 2017 and on other formats by
Planet Mu Planet Mu is an English electronic music record label created and run by Mike Paradinas. The label started out as a subsidiary of Virgin Records then Paradinas set up the label independent of Virgin. After releasing intelligent dance music, the ...
on May 19, 2017. Produced in a year from 2015 to 2016, it features collaborations with
William Basinski William James Basinski (born June 25, 1958) is an American avant-garde composer based in Los Angeles, California. He is also a clarinetist, saxophonist, sound artist, and video artist. Basinski is best known for his four-volume album '' The Dis ...
,
Holly Herndon Holly Herndon (born 1980) is an American artist and composer based in Berlin, Germany. After studying composition at Stanford University and completing her Ph.D. at Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, she ...
, Fawkes, and Dope Saint Jude. The title of ''Black Origami'' describes the structure of the music: the songs are complex pieces that take advantage of silence as much as sounds, similar to how an origami makes intricate art based on plain paper. Two tracks from previous Jlin extended plays appear on ''Black Origami'': "Nandi" from ''Free Fall'' (2015) and "Nyakinya Rise" from ''Dark Lotus'' (2017). ''Black Origami'' was critically acclaimed upon its release; reviewers highlighted Jlin's increased range in her sound and style, the album's variety of sounds, its percussion and rhythms, and the use of collaborators. ''Black Origami'' landed in the top ten of year-end lists by publications such as ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'', ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'', ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'', ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'', and the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' and was one position shy of making it into the top ten of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
''s annual
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
critics poll.


Production

Jlin began work on a second album "about May-ish, June-ish of 2015" and completed it a year later.Huffman, Jibade-Khalil (January 4, 2018)
"Jlin"
. ''
Bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...
''. New Arts Publications, Inc. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
The first track made for it was "Nandi". The next track she worked on was what would become ''Black Origami''s title track, its 24- measure ending of the title track taking three days to complete. She explained that when she made the title track, "I thought I might be onto something and dug deeper. It's started developing into an album before I realized it." After completing the song, Jlin became friends with Indian dancer Avril Stormy Unger. As she explained, "I happened to go to her page one day and I saw videos of her dancing. And I was like, Oh my god, this is it. Her rhythm and movement was matching my rhythm and sound." As a result, Jlin created "Carbon 7" based on Unger's dancing. The next two songs to be completed were "Enigma" and "Hatshepsut", named after an Egyptian queen. According to Jlin, the staff at
Planet Mu Planet Mu is an English electronic music record label created and run by Mike Paradinas. The label started out as a subsidiary of Virgin Records then Paradinas set up the label independent of Virgin. After releasing intelligent dance music, the ...
called her "stupid because I didn’t wait for someone who should have been on my second album—we had a difference in the work we were collaborating on. Everybody else thought I should have waited and was in total panic mode, so I had to work around them and push past them to make a decision." However, ''Black Origami'' still features collaborations with avant-garde producers such as
Holly Herndon Holly Herndon (born 1980) is an American artist and composer based in Berlin, Germany. After studying composition at Stanford University and completing her Ph.D. at Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, she ...
,
William Basinski William James Basinski (born June 25, 1958) is an American avant-garde composer based in Los Angeles, California. He is also a clarinetist, saxophonist, sound artist, and video artist. Basinski is best known for his four-volume album '' The Dis ...
,
Dope Saint Jude Catherine Saint Jude Pretorius, professionally known as Dope Saint Jude, is a South African rapper, singer, songwriter and music producer. Early life Dope Saint Jude was born in and grew up in Elsies River, a working class colored neighborhood l ...
, and French artist Fawkes. Reynolds, Simon (May 18, 2017)
"Simon Reynolds meets Jlin: 'I got part of my ideology from Coco Chanel'"
. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
Sylvester, Daniel (May 23, 2017)
"Jlin's Blank Slate Turns 'Black Origami' into a Global Community Effort"
. ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
''. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
"Holy Child" began with Jlin emailing a female Baltic folk vocal loop to
William Basinski William James Basinski (born June 25, 1958) is an American avant-garde composer based in Los Angeles, California. He is also a clarinetist, saxophonist, sound artist, and video artist. Basinski is best known for his four-volume album '' The Dis ...
for him to turn into "magic". Basinki first met Jlin unexpectedly during a
soundcheck A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance to adjust the sound on the venue's sound reinforcement or public address system. The performer and the audio engineers run through a small po ...
in New York. The penultimate track done for the album was a collaboration with
Holly Herndon Holly Herndon (born 1980) is an American artist and composer based in Berlin, Germany. After studying composition at Stanford University and completing her Ph.D. at Stanford University's Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, she ...
named "1%". Herndon previously worked with Jlin on "Expand", a track from her debut album ''
Dark Energy In physical cosmology and astronomy, dark energy is a proposed form of energy that affects the universe on the largest scales. Its primary effect is to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe. It also slows the rate of structure format ...
'' (2015). Jlin produced the last songs for the album in India.Bengal, Rebecca (May 9, 2017)
"Jlin: Woman of Steel"
. ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
''. Retrieved January 31, 2018.


Composition

As ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...
'' critic Daniel Sylvester summarized ''Black Origami'', "it's earthy and futuristic, complex and linear, dance-y and a total mind-fuck." With ''Black Origami'', Jlin, in her words, wanted to do "something different, something that challenged me to my core," and make music "with no boundaries". She wanted to make the music "complex" like an origami, hence the title. As such, ''Black Origami'' involves "manipulating silence", much like the "emptiness" of paper origamis are often made of, as much as "volatile beat patterns and otherworldly fragmented sounds," claimed ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...
''.Gaillot, Ann-Derrick (May 2, 2017)
"For Jlin, The Only Way Is Up"
. ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...
''. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
The album, as a result, is more spacious than previous Jlin records, to the point where "tracks like the rattling "Enigma" or the glittery splash of "Carbon 7" feel like they should be choreographed with fluid and balletic steps instead of the rapid movements of footwork and juke, even if the rhythms remain at the same BPM as ever," wrote ''
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
''s Robert Ham. As per usual for Jlin's music, the album contains chaotic, unpredictable rhythms and lots of detail in the sound design.Cush, Andy (May 11, 2017)
"Jlin's Rust Belt Modernism"
. ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
''. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
In fact, the drums and percussion in the album's original mix sounded so aggressive that
Planet Mu Planet Mu is an English electronic music record label created and run by Mike Paradinas. The label started out as a subsidiary of Virgin Records then Paradinas set up the label independent of Virgin. After releasing intelligent dance music, the ...
instructed the mastering engineer to tone down the harshness of the sound. ''Black Origami'' is non-melodic and features sounds of drums, bells, vocal snippets, whistles, and
world music "World music" is an English phrase for styles of music from non-English speaking countries, including quasi-traditional, Cross-cultural communication, intercultural, and traditional music. World music's broad nature and elasticity as a musical ...
percussion samples. It is "propelled by the sheer force of her percussion, her ornate, radical progressions, her shape-shifting sounds," and "an undercurrent of menace", wrote Rebecca Bengal. Some reviewers noted the album's multicultural influences in the music,Cardew, Ben (May 19, 2017)
"Jlin – Black Origami"
. ''
The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...
''. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
Hsu, Hua (May 22, 2017)
""Black Origami": Jlin's Moody New Dance Album"
. ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
''. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
particularly of
Eastern music Asian music encompass numerous musical styles, traditions, and forms originating in Asian countries. Asian music traditions include: * ** Music of China ** Music of Hong Kong ** Music of Japan ** Traditional music of Korea *** Music of Nort ...
. They range from marching-band-style drums ("Hatshepsut") to
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
percussion ("Kyanite") to American
hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
drums ("Never Created, Never Destroyed"). A review by Ham noted Jlin's activities of traveling around the world she did after ''Dark Energy'' gained popularity; he suggested that on ''Black Origami'', she "absorb those experiences and influences and bring them to bear on her work with clarity and speed." Jlin stated ''Black Origami'' was not a
footwork Footwork may refer to: * Footwork (cricket) *Footwork (dance) *Footwork (genre), a genre of electronic music, also known as juke *Footwork (martial arts) Footwork is a martial arts and combat sports term for the general usage of the legs and ...
album, and some publications opined she was right,Carman Spaccasi, Samantha (June 28, 2017)
"Reviews: Jlin, Julie Byrne, Priests"
. ''Pretty Much Amazing''. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' magazine reasoning the music was "too ornate" and "self-possessed" to be categorized as footwork. On the other hand, ''Treble'' magazine claimed the album "echoes and expands on the range" of the genre.
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
called the album "fluid and delicate" for a footwork record, also analyzing it is "informed by ballet and contemporary dance in addition to more club-oriented dance styles." Writer Andrew Nosnitsky wrote that ''Black Origami'' is several genres "and none of them at once. It’s a rhythm-spanning collection of contradictions and colliding worlds—the intensity of social music refracted through an introverted mind, the physical converted into digital and back again, the past told through future music and vice versa—all making the case that rhythm is too infinite, too forceful to be reduced to mere utilitarian functions." Journalist Ben Cardew found ''Black Origami'' akin to the 1990s works of
Photek Rupert Parkes (born 6 September 1971), known as Photek, is a Los Angeles-based British electronic music DJ/record producer, and TV and film score composer. Photek was born and raised in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. Photek has contributed music ...
,
Squarepusher Thomas Russell Jenkinson (born 17 January 1975), known professionally as Squarepusher, is an English electronic musician, record producer, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and DJ. His music spans several genres including drum and bass, IDM, a ...
, and
Aphex Twin Richard David James (born 18 August 1971), known professionally as Aphex Twin, is a British musician, composer and DJ active in electronic music since 1988. His idiosyncratic work has drawn on many styles, including techno, ambient music, ambi ...
, where it takes "the rhythmic intensity of
drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...
and squeeze and contort it into fascinating new shapes." ''Spin'' also compared it to the 1990s music of Aphex Twin for its "determination to plumb the horizontal possibilities of dance music." While most of the tracks are very percussion-heavy, the album also occasionally veers into more
ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...
pieces like "Calcination". It also features several elements of
witch house ''Witch House'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Evangeline Walton. It was published in 1945 by Arkham House in an edition of 3,000 copies. It was the first full-length novel to be published by Arkham House and was listed as the initial ...
.


Release and promotion

Jlin announced a follow-up to ''Dark Energy'' on April 15, 2016 via an interview with the Line Noise Podcast. She stated it would "veer very far left of footwork", would either be named ''Black Origami: The Motherboard'' or ''Black Origami: Dark Lotus'', and was planned to be issued in March 2017.Black, Billy (April 15, 2016)
"JLin reveals Dark Energy follow-up"
. ''
Crack Magazine ''Crack'' is a monthly independent music and culture magazine distributed across Europe. Founded in Bristol in the UK in 2009, the magazine has featured Björk, MF Doom, Lil Yachty, FKA twigs, Gorillaz and Queens of the Stone Age on the cover ...
''. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
"Nandi" first appeared on Jlin's extended play ''Free Fall'' (2015) and was released as a single on November 4, 2015. "Nyakinya Rise" was previously on another Jlin EP titled ''Dark Lotus'' and was issued as a single on January 23, 2017. Three more singles were released from ''Black Origami'': "Challenge (To Be Continued)", which premiered via ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...
'' on May 2, 2017, the title track, which ''
Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...
'' made available alongside an interview on May 4, 2017,Ravens, Chal (May 4, 2017)
"Very spiritual moments: Jlin is pushing the limits of experimental dance music"
. ''
Mixmag ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...
''. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
and "Holy Child". which was released on May 10, 2017. On May 23, 2017, the video for "Carbon 7" was released.Rodriguez, Krystal (May 23, 2017)
"Jlin Shares a Haunting New Music Video for "Carbon 7""
. ''Thump''. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
Directed by Joji Koyama, it involves a man played by dancer Corey Scott-Gilbert moving through a dark warehouse.
NPR Music NPR Music is a project of National Public Radio, an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization, that launched in November 2007 to present public radio music programming and original editorial content for music ...
first distributed the album for
streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...
on May 11, 2017, before
Planet Mu Planet Mu is an English electronic music record label created and run by Mike Paradinas. The label started out as a subsidiary of Virgin Records then Paradinas set up the label independent of Virgin. After releasing intelligent dance music, the ...
issued it to CD,
digital download Digital download may refer to: *Downloading, the processing of copying data to a computer from an external source *Digital distribution, a method of downloading software or audio-visual media as opposed to buying it at a traditional point of sale * ...
, and
vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...
on May 19, 2017. As Jlin described the album's cover art, "I love elephants. I. Love. Elephants. Elephants are the most precious thing to me on this planet. So, I asked my label when we designed the cover art
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
I wanted an origami of an elephant. And they sure enough, I don’t know how they did it, they delivered. So there we go."


Critical reception

Upon its release, ''Black Origami'' garnered critical acclaim, some reviewers calling it a breakthrough record for Jlin and one of the best albums of 2017 (see the
Accolades The accolade (also known as dubbing, adoubement, or knighting) () was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. Etymology The term ''accolade'' entered English by 1591, when Thomas Lodge use ...
section for more information). A ''Spin'' reviewer honored it as the "future of progressive club music. It is bold, precise, cross-cultural and far more intelligent than waning genres both outside (like rock) and inside (think tech house or even traditional footwork) the dance music world." Ham called ''Black Origami'', "from all pre-release accounts, the byproduct of an artist finally seeing the world beyond her own backyard." ''Gigsoup'' claimed, "While the record will undoubtedly be included on numerous year-end lists, its long-term value lies in its potential to dissolve arbitrary genre restraints and lift similar artists to greater heights." Cardew positively compared it to Aphex Twin for its possibilities in analyzing it academically while also being able to dance to it. Sylvester wrote that with the album, she "broadens the scope of er styleto create an album beaming with ambition and one-of-a-kind vision." He and a ''Dusted'' magazine critic praised its use of collaborators,Burnett, Joseph (May 31, 2017)
"Jlin — Black Origami (Planet Mu)"
. ''Dusted''. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
Sylvester reasoning they gave their respective songs their "own distinct personality." Like Sylvester, Ammar Kalia of '' Clash'' magazine wrote that the LP "showcases an artist widening her scope of production, whilst maintaining an ear and a place for the dance floor birthplace of her genre." Cardew praised the diversity of percussion sounds on the LP, which "range from marching bands to gongs to tablas." The "mastery of percussion" was also honored in a ''
Crack Magazine ''Crack'' is a monthly independent music and culture magazine distributed across Europe. Founded in Bristol in the UK in 2009, the magazine has featured Björk, MF Doom, Lil Yachty, FKA twigs, Gorillaz and Queens of the Stone Age on the cover ...
'' review, which used the interplay between vocals and drums on "Enigma" and "unsettling microtonal melodies and moments of pure flight amid bottomless sub tumbles" on "Holy Child" as examples. Irish critic
Jim Carroll James Dennis Carroll (August 1, 1949 – September 11, 2009) was an American author, poet, and punk musician. Carroll was best known for his 1978 autobiographical work '' The Basketball Diaries'', which inspired a 1995 film of the same title ...
claimed the album "will take your breath away", praising its "scope of the sounds" and "the skill which Jlin uses to marshal the percussive power at her disposal." August Brown of ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' called the percussion "intricate and punishing, industrial and artful.""What to listen to now: Perfume Genius, Pokey LaFarge, Adrian Marcel and Jlin"
. ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''. May 16, 2017. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
''Black Origami'' received a "Best New Music" label from ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
'', who called it a "pure exercise in sound-as-power, music that has no specific agenda beyond simply making itself felt." ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...
'' critic Andrew Dorsett noted that the album is "not for everyone", but this fact contributes to the quality because "Jlin has no interest in pleasing anyone, in particular, focusing instead on perfecting her technique and adhering faithfully to her influences and interests." Dorsett also praised how "highly ordered, even regimented" the otherwise chaotic rhythms were, describing the album as a "masterstroke of sheer timing". ''
Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...
'' honored it as a unique electronic album for being both "intimidating" while also "powerful and distinctive". ''The 405'' critic Brody Kenny favorably stated, "this is not the work of somebody wanting to shortcut their way into making “atmospheric” music by cutting and pasting old ideas. Rather, it's the mark of someone establishing their unique authorship with the utmost certitude." He highlighted ''Black Origami''s use of tension, writing that the album "shifts moods with enough subtlety to sustain a through line but enough variation to prevent the album from ever losing your attention."Kenny, Brody (May 19, 2017)
"Review: Jlin's second album, Black Origami, is an intense and edifyingly rhythmic mental workout"
. ''The 405''. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
He also called it distinct from most
experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...
albums, because "familiarity with it through multiple listens oesn't doanything to lessen the tension it creates. Rather than throwing the listener into a half-hearted mystical void, Jlin has instead created an incredible hyperreality." In a more mixed review, ''Spectrum Culture'' stated ''Black Origami'' was a "fascinating" listen but criticized it for being "heavy on ideas and light on animal pleasures:" "The sound design is often astonishing, ..But one can only do so much just with drums, and though the sounds are arranged in beguiling ways, none are particularly weird, and it doesn’t twist its way around the brain the way an equally weird footwork record like Foodman’s Couldwork might."Bromfield, Daniel (May 21, 2017)
"Jlin: Black Origami"
. ''Spectrum Culture''. Retrieved January 18, 2018.


Accolades


Semester-end lists


Year-end lists

In ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
''s
Pazz & Jop Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper ''The Village Voice'' and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year abse ...
, an poll regarding the best albums of the year as voted by more than 400 American music critics, ''Black Origami'' ranked number eleven with 345 points.


Track listing

Sample credits *"1%" samples the line "You’re all going to die down here" from the video game ''
Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
'' (2002).Soman, Shaun (May 22, 2017)
"Jlin 'Black Origami'"
. ''Gigsoup''. Retrieved February 3, 2018.


Personnel

* Jlin / Jerrilynn Patton – composition, production * Beau Thomas – mastering * Robert J. Lang and Kevin Box – artwork * Bill Stengel – photo * Joe Shakespeare and Fabian Harb – sleeve


Release history


References


External links

*
''Black Origami''
at the official
Planet Mu Planet Mu is an English electronic music record label created and run by Mike Paradinas. The label started out as a subsidiary of Virgin Records then Paradinas set up the label independent of Virgin. After releasing intelligent dance music, the ...
website
"Jlin"
at the official Planet Mu website {{Authority control 2017 albums Jlin albums Planet Mu albums Footwork (genre) albums Electronic albums by American artists Experimental music albums by American artists