Free Fall is essentially a victory lap following the universal acclaim of
Jlin's 2015 debut full-length, Dark Energy. While that album was an intense personal exploration using Chicago footwork as a basis, Free Fall seems like a relatively more straightforward set of tracks primed for the scene's infamous dance battles. The EP's four tracks seem more playful than the ones on Dark Energy, while remaining sinister and aggressive. The title of "Eu4ria" and the siren-like synths on "I Am the Queen" seem to nod to '90s rave music, but they're far more jittery and unnerving. "BuZilla" is
Jlin's remix of a track by footwork innovator
RP Boo, and while it sounds great, it's a lot closer to
Boo's style.
Jlin largely steers clear of recognizable samples in her work, so the Godzilla roars and awkwardly placed bit of
Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die" stick out. Still, Free Fall is a worthwhile release, and probably the most DJ-friendly entry in the
Jlin catalog. ~ Paul Simpson