B12 — Jlin
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?’
‘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.’
‘It's a very mathematical thing because just like in maths, you have permutation and combination.’
‘Igor Stravinsky, when he would have rehearsals, he would literally go through all 88 people and test the pitch and sound of their instrument. When you trust yourself ‘cause you know your sound, you know it like you breathe.’
‘Honestly, a lot of times when I play at Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, I insist on playing in the pit because I'm like, I deserve to be in this pit because I wrote this and I'm playing this out. I am literally 88 people.’
‘Music has always been a part of my life. It's a very spiritual tool. It is as much a mystery to me as it is for the person who's listening to the work.’
‘B12 is a piece that represents high energy yet a sweet presence of joy. I hope people enjoy what they're hearing and notice something different every time they listen. Thank you so much Powerhouse Museum for asking me to be a part of this project series.’
Download B12 and the Sounding the Collection samples used by Jlin via Metalabel.
Credits
Sounding the Collection
From an automaton bird cage and an art deco clock, to toy robots, tuning forks and steam engines, Sounding the Collection is a sonic archive from Powerhouse that brings objects sitting silent in the collection to audition.
The archive hosts more than 100 recordings designed to be shared publicly, inviting artistic interpretation and collaboration. These recordings allow musicians, researchers and sound designers globally to repurpose and interpret them via a ‘sample pack’ — potentially finding their way into sonic identities, movie soundtracks, foley, pop songs and sound installations.
Powerhouse is working to fold sonic archives and sonic interpretation of the Collection’s material culture. In addition to Sounding the Collection, the museum is host to a range of projects that activate and listens closely to its objects. This includes the Oscillations podcast series, collaborations with Research Scholars and performances with collection instruments
