Jlin has written a score for renowned British choreographer Wayne McGregor‘s Autobiography, landing in September via Planet Mu. 

Autobiography follows on from Jlin’s Black Origami, one of the most critically lauded albums of last year. This isn’t technically her third album—that’s due for 2019 or 2020—but it’s said to “flow with all the emotional peaks and troughs of a good LP,” the label explains. 

We’re told that making music for dance is the fulfilment of one of Jlin’s lifelong dreams. She describes the process of working with Wayne: “We first met face to face in October 2016 in a downtown Chicago hotel, talking for about a solid two hours. Immediately, I saw Wayne was very friendly and energetic. He’s brilliant, witty, and knows exactly what he wants; an absolute gem to work with. Before I even started composing for Autobiography, Wayne told me so gently that he trusts me completely with my direction of creating the score. That was the best feeling in the world. I would wake up at two in the morning and work until six in the evening until I completed all the pieces. We were both very happy with the outcome. Creating the score for an impeccable piece of work such as Autobiography changed my life as an artist.”

The soundtrack is said to stand up on its own but it takes on new dimensions with the performance. Instead of reading descriptions of the individual tracks, it’s best to hear them for yourself, or better still, see one of the performances. Jlin will be touring with Company Wayne McGregor performing Autobiography this year into next, with dates below. 

Autobiography will land on September 28 via Planet Mu, with “The Abyss Of Doubt” streaming in full below. 

Autobiography Performances by Company Wayne McGregor:

Sadler’s Wells, London, UK: 26-28 July (with Jlin performing live) 

Edinburgh International Festival, UK: 11-13 August 

Tanz im August, Berlin, Germany: 17-19 August 

Kampnagel, Hamburg, Germany: 22-25 August 

Wycombe Swan, High Wycombe, UK: 19 September 

Northcott Theatre, Exeter, UK: 21 September 

The Music Center, Los Angeles, USA: 5-7 October 2018 (with Jlin performing live) 

Unsound Festival, Krakow, Poland: 12-13 October 2018 (with Jlin performing live) 

Carolina Performing Arts at UNC, Chapel Hill, USA: 25 October 

Pavilion Noir, France: 15-16 January 

Bonn Opera House, Germany: 31 January 

The Arts Center NYU, Abu Dhabi, UAE: 7-8 February 2019 (with Jlin performing live) 

Seattle Theatre Group, USA: 22 February