There are sufficient beat-switches, breakdowns, switcheroos, and change-ups on any given observe to provide “Bohemian Rhapsody” hives. “Pace of Darkness” and “Open Canvas” are the 2 longest and most compositionally spectacular cuts, the previous assembling and reassembling itself out of pockets of silence, the latter one thing of a free-jazz riff on earlier Midwest dance classics like “Percolator.” 4-on-the-floor kicks seem, disappear, and depart nothing however triplets and pockets of empty area, and it’s a secure wager that if a music settles into something resembling a groove it’ll splinter aside simply as quickly. The underlying structural logic governing these tracks isn’t at all times simple to suss out, however there’s little question that it’s there; this music is at all times growing, by no means meandering, repeating parts solely when essential.
Patton’s music attracts from a variety of sources along with digital and classical music. Her love of HBCU marching bands carries over from Black Origami, and the preparations ought to encourage nods of recognition (and reminiscences of grueling rehearsal) from anybody who’s ever been in or written for drum corps. Generally Akoma appears like fife-and-drum blues or AACM jazz or African music, even when it’s written within the language of footwork, the place whip-crack 808 and 909 snares are the norm. She even features a few extra conventional juke cuts like “Auset” and “Grannie’s Cherry Pie” to point out what she’s able to in a extra standard mode—and the way far she’s come from Bangs & Works. Footwork has at all times drawn from omnivorous sources (take a look at Traxman’s face-melting AC/DC flip), however Jlin’s work is lighter on samples than most productions within the style, and her inspirations are deeply woven into the music’s rhythmic DNA relatively than left floating on high.
Jlin’s music is mild on melodic and harmonic parts, which may make it a non-starter for many who require one thing fairly to latch onto. What’s occurring within the foreground usually exists to fragrance the background, as on “Iris,” the place the distant ghost of a cellphone ringtone snakes via a near-overwhelming barrage of drums and a vicious acid bassline that appears like somebody greedy a big flying insect. These accustomed to pondering of percussion as an inherently auxiliary instrument must readjust their expectations, as will anybody in search of an off-the-cuff listening expertise and unwilling to enter an nearly prey-like state of alertness. Jlin’s world isn’t at all times a straightforward one to navigate, however the endorphin rush her music supplies simply would possibly encourage a listener so as to add slightly extra problem to their life.
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