Jerrilynn Patton (Jlin)
Biography
Jlin began producing music while working at a steel factory in Gary, Indiana. Her debut album, Dark Energy, established her as a distinctive voice in electronic music and introduced the complex rhythmic structures that became central to her work.
Her practice subsequently expanded beyond electronic production into contemporary composition and interdisciplinary performance. She has created music for dance and chamber ensembles and collaborated with artists and ensembles including Wayne McGregor, Third Coast Percussion, Kronos Quartet, Philip Glass, and Björk.
In 2023, Jlin was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Music for Perspective. In May 2025, she premiered the Library of Congress's first complete electronic music commission, A Dance With My Favorite Opponent and Veyari (Sanctum Aeternum). She continues to compose, record, and perform internationally.
BQW Impact
Jlin has expanded the visibility of Black queer women within electronic and contemporary music. Her work challenges the boundaries between club music, electronic production, contemporary composition, and experimental performance while maintaining a distinctive rhythmic language rooted in her experience and musical influences.
Her trajectory from Gary's industrial landscape to major international stages and contemporary-music institutions has broadened the visibility of Black women and queer artists within genres and compositional spaces where they have historically been underrepresented.
Notable Works
Dark Energy (2015)
Jlin's debut studio album, establishing her distinctive approach to complex electronic rhythm and sound.
Black Origami (2017)
Her second studio album, expanding the rhythmic and compositional vocabulary introduced on Dark Energy.
Autobiography (2018)
Music created for choreographer Wayne McGregor's dance work Autobiography.
Embryo (2021)
An EP extending Jlin's electronic and compositional practice.
Perspective (2023)
A suite of electronic compositions that became the basis for her Pulitzer Prize–finalist work.
Akoma (2024)
A studio album featuring collaborations with Philip Glass, Björk, and Kronos Quartet.
Learn More
Current releases, biography, projects, performances, and professional information.
Official social account for current updates and work.
Record of Jlin's 2025 electronic music commission and premiere.
Official record of Jlin's 2023 Music finalist recognition.