Two tracks from previous Jlin extended plays appear on Black Origami: "Nandi" from Free Fall (2015) and "Nyakinya Rise" from Dark Lotus (2017).

"[5] However, Black Origami still features collaborations with avant-garde producers such as Holly Herndon, William Basinski, Dope Saint Jude, and French artist Fawkes.

[8][9] "Holy Child" began with Jlin emailing a female Baltic folk vocal loop to William Basinski for him to turn into "magic".

critic Daniel Sylvester summarized Black Origami, "it's earthy and futuristic, complex and linear, dance-y and a total mind-fuck.

[4] The album, as a result, is more spacious than previous Jlin records, to the point where "tracks like the rattling "Enigma" or the glittery splash of "Carbon 7" feel like they should be choreographed with fluid and balletic steps instead of the rapid movements of footwork and juke, even if the rhythms remain at the same BPM as ever," wrote Consequence of Sound's Robert Ham.

[15] Black Origami is non-melodic and features sounds of drums, bells, vocal snippets, whistles, and world music percussion samples.

[4] It is "propelled by the sheer force of her percussion, her ornate, radical progressions, her shape-shifting sounds," and "an undercurrent of menace", wrote Rebecca Bengal.

[17] A review by Ham noted Jlin's activities of traveling around the world she did after Dark Energy gained popularity; he suggested that on Black Origami, she "absorb[s] those experiences and influences and bring[s] them to bear on her work with clarity and speed.

"[23] Journalist Ben Cardew found Black Origami akin to the 1990s works of Photek, Squarepusher, and Aphex Twin, where it takes "the rhythmic intensity of drum and bass and squeeze[s] and contort[s] it into fascinating new shapes.

[26] Three more singles were released from Black Origami: "Challenge (To Be Continued)", which premiered via The Fader on May 2, 2017,[4] the title track, which Mixmag made available alongside an interview on May 4, 2017,[19] and "Holy Child".

"[4] Upon its release, Black Origami garnered critical acclaim,[31] some reviewers calling it a breakthrough record for Jlin[2][14] and one of the best albums of 2017 (see the Accolades section for more information).

It is bold, precise, cross-cultural and far more intelligent than waning genres both outside (like rock) and inside (think tech house or even traditional footwork) the dance music world.

"[14] Gigsoup claimed, "While the record will undoubtedly be included on numerous year-end lists, its long-term value lies in its potential to dissolve arbitrary genre restraints and lift similar artists to greater heights.

"[12] Like Sylvester, Ammar Kalia of Clash magazine wrote that the LP "showcases an artist widening her scope of production, whilst maintaining an ear and a place for the dance floor birthplace of her genre.

"[16] The "mastery of percussion" was also honored in a Crack Magazine review, which used the interplay between vocals and drums on "Enigma" and "unsettling microtonal melodies and moments of pure flight amid bottomless sub tumbles" on "Holy Child" as examples.

[39] Irish critic Jim Carroll claimed the album "will take your breath away", praising its "scope of the sounds" and "the skill which Jlin uses to marshal the percussive power at her disposal.

[36] The 405 critic Brody Kenny favorably stated, "this is not the work of somebody wanting to shortcut their way into making “atmospheric” music by cutting and pasting old ideas.

"[41] In The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop, an poll regarding the best albums of the year as voted by more than 400 American music critics, Black Origami ranked number eleven with 345 points.