Dark Jinja Shares Dark Jinja Compilation I, Featuring Le Makeup, Yullippe, LSTNGHT And More

Labels and collectives gestate around all kinds of unifying theories, from identity to specific genre to shared interests. If Dark Jinja’s first compilation points at an overarching ethos, it’s that they love the dark and unnerving side of electronic music. Dark Jinja Compilation I is a masterclass in all things jittery, with nearly every inclusion here rumbling forward on machine-derived skitters and synthesizer melodies a few twists away from survival-horror-game territory. The familiar names here that got this one on our reader fit that bill — Yullippe serves up one of the more physical cuts here with the shuffling “Peg,” while Le Makeup keeps their everyday electronics sparse on “Lucky.” Like most great comps, this one is all about finding new names, although this time around that means finding out which artists creep you out the most. Bleed Boi’s “Imitation Song” warps techno into nightmare fuel, while others such as TAMA2000 and sssts go in a more minimal, mistier direction. A few more uplifting moments are sprinkled in — check LSTNGHT’s “Cracked Sky” for a late beam of light bursting through a brick roof — but this is a set for those who want music that seems just off. And here’s hoping that is the connecting vibe for Dark Jinja. Get it here, or listen below.