Dark Energy (album)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.2/10[1]
Metacritic	86/100[2]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
The Guardian	[4]
Juice	[5]
The List	2/5[6]
Pitchfork	8.5/10[7]
Resident Advisor	4.1/5[8]
Tiny Mix Tapes	4.5/5[9]
Vice	6/10[10]

Dark Energy received universal acclaim from music critics.^[2] AllMusic called it "simply one of the most compelling debut albums of 2015," describing it as "tense, thrilling, and a bit frightening."^[3] The Quietus wrote that "In its breadth of ambition and stunningly realised sounds, Dark Energy delivers more than just a new twist on an established style [...] it maps out an inspiring and tantalising glimpse of electronic music's future."^[11] Referring to the producer's roots in the Chicago dance style known as footwork, The Guardian wrote: "Jlin is an artist who belongs to her genre, but has an eye on where it could go next."^[4] Resident Advisor stated that "Jlin has plenty to say, and she has a remarkably strong and distinctive voice with which to say it."^[8]

The Quietus and The Wire both named Dark Energy the best album of 2015,^[12][13] while Fact named it the year's seventh best album.^[14] Pitchfork placed Dark Energy at number 40 on its year-end list of the best albums of 2015,^[15] and in 2017, the site placed the album at number 35 on its list of "The 50 Best IDM Albums of All Time".^[16]