PREMIUM COURSE

Jlin: Rhythm, Variation, & Vulnerability

Learn how pioneering producer Jlin creates deeply complex rhythmic tapestries of sound, brimming with emotion.

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Jlin is an artist that defies categorization. Her sound is overflowing with exciting rhythms, percussive opulence, and layers of cascading variations and surprises, and her process is all-consuming, anchored by a commitment to naked honesty and self-interrogation. From Chicago's famed, homegrown footwork scene to the grand symphony halls of Europe, she has pushed the boundaries of what electronic dance music can be. 

And now with this course — the first of its kind from Jlin — she's cracking open her approach to making music by dissecting tracks and inviting you into her mindset, to reveal the intellectual and emotional foundations of her artistic work. We'll use these philosophical approaches as jumping off points to create beats and tracks in your own style, and to incorporate your own personal story into your work.

Designed to be consumed in one or two sittings, Jlin's bite-sized course will challenge you to rethink how you make music, and the role rhythm, variation, and vulnerability can play in bringing your tracks to life. If you're a producer or composer looking to break out of repetitive loops and beat block, and activate more excitement and unpredictability in your sound, this course is for you.


Jlin

Pioneering Producer & Composer

Jerrilynn Patton, better known as Jlin, is an electronic musician from Gary, Indiana. Patton began producing rhythmic dance music as part of the juke/footwork scene in Chicago, and first gained notoriety with tracks appearing on Planet Mu’s 2011 compilation, Bangs & Works, Vol. 2, alongside RP Boo, DJ Rashad, and others. In recent years, her music has veered off in a direction entirely her own, with releases like Dark Energy (2015) and Black Origami (2017) garnering immense critical acclaim. Considered one of the most innovative and boundary-pushing artists of the last decade, Patton has worked with creative luminaries like Björk, Kronos Quartet, Holly Herndon, William Basinski, Third Coast Percussion, and more. Despite relying on samples early on in her career, Patton’s music has markedly abandoned the use of borrowed material in favor of using original sounds and instruments to produce a unique style of “vulnerable” electronic dance music that is at times frenetic and unpredictable, at times minimal and spacious, but always concise, emotive, and communicative.

More About Jlin
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production
composition
rhythm
beat making
experimental music
electronic music
footwork
remixing
percussion
inspiration and creativity
jlin

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Meet Jlin

Jlin is one of the most exciting producers and composer working today, combining hard-hitting rhythms and beats with a unique artistic sensibility. Meet Jlin in this sample video, and get a feel for what you'll learn in this course. 

Embrace Unpredictability

Explore this bite-sized course on Jlin's methods, mindsets, and music to shake up your perspective on making great dance music.

Write Songs One Measure at a Time

Stop relying on loops, and learn how to be clean, precise, and unpredictable.

Embrace Vulnerability

Take inspiration from Jlin's journey to be more honest with yourself in your creative process.

Create Complexity Out of Simple Ideas

Learn how to make complex rhythms with simple parts and variation.

Treat Your Parts With Care

Explore how to write parts with care, as if they were your children.

WHAT STUDENTS SAY

Course Outline

  1. Preview
    Section 1

    Introduction

  2. Section 2

    Impact

  3. Section 3

    Creativity

  4. Section 4

    Rhythm

  5. Section 5

    Vulnerability

  6. Section 6

    Conclusion

MORE INFORMATION

Who is this course for?

This course is for producers and composers wanting to create more complex rhythmic tapestries, shake up their creative process, and inject more unpredictability into their sound. 

What will I learn in this course?

You'll learn Jlin's approach to music making, including how she thinks about creativity, artistic evolution, unpredictability and vulnerability. You'll watch her dig into her rhythmic tracks and break down the decision-making threads and philosophical underpinnings that led to the creation of some of her notable works. We'll analyze some of her compositional variations bar-by-bar.

More than anything, you should leave this course feeling validated in your creative pursuits and inspired with new frameworks to try new things. 

Are there any pre-reqs?

There are parts of this course that are for any creator, especially the first couple sections, but the later sections require some knowledge of beat making and the DAW. Jlin herself uses FL Studio, but any DAW will do. 

A good complimentary course for this one would be Beat Making in Ableton Live, if you're new to beat making and want to improve your skills before diving in. 

How long does this course take?

This course was designed for you to go through entirely at your own pace. If you wanted to watch and read all the content linearly from start to finish, you could probably finish it in a couple hours; taking a more active approach and utilizing the challenge prompts, you should spend about a week creating music from the activities. 

You're also welcome to just skip around to the lessons and sections most relevant to you and your music.  

Is there a specific start date?

You can start the course anytime. If you'd like more accountability, and guided feedback from a professional, you can request to work through the course and your own goals with a Soundfly Mentor for four or six weeks, and get a more personalized experience for a specific period of time.  

Learn more about custom mentorship here.

How many lessons are there?

This course includes 29 lessons, including videos, graphics, text, activities, demos, creative prompts, downloadable tracks, stems, and much more. 

What do I get if I enroll as a subscriber?

As a subscriber, you'll get unlimited access to all courses on Soundfly.com, including this and all our other premium courses, to go through at your own pace. This includes all the videos, tutorials, demos, quizzes, activities, downloads, and other materials within our full suite of courses.

You're also entitled to a 25% discount on our custom mentorship program, you will be invited to join our exclusive community Discord group, you'll be able join subscriber-only Study Groups, artist Q&As and workshops, annual contests and giveaways, and you'll have access to a growing list of exclusive discount perks courtesy of our partner brands. Cancel anytime.

You can find out more about subscribing here.

What is your refund policy?

Our mission is to support musicians, not to rip anyone off. If you realize after subscribing that it's not what you wanted, email us as soon as you can with your reason for cancelling. Our policy is to issue refunds within two weeks of a purchase, for either a monthly or annual subscription, if the courses didn't meet your expectations.

Note that we cannot offer refunds on monthly subscription payments beyond a single month of payment because of the residuals we pay out to our instructors and artists.

Can I take this course with a mentor?

Yes, absolutely. If you would like to go through the course with support, accountability, feedback, and guidance from an expert, you can request a mentor by filling out this form. A Soundfly staffperson will reach out within 48 hours to learn more about your goals, your music, and your skills level, and pair you with a mentor who can help you achieve your next musical milestone. Our mentorship program is our science-backed learning model designed to help you learn more efficiently and effectively. Your mentor will tailor the course to your experience and interests, offer detailed weekly feedback on your work, answer any questions you have, help you blow past obstacles, and keep you on track to accomplish your goals.

You can find out more about mentorship and our expert mentors here.