Xen (album)
Xen is the debut studio album by Venezuelan electronic musician Arca, released on 4 November 2014 through Mute Records.[4] The album was recorded over a largely improvised six-month period in 2014.[5]
Xen | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 4 November 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2014[1] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:24 | |||
Label | Mute | |||
Producer | Arca | |||
Arca chronology | ||||
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Singles from Xen | ||||
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Background
The title of the album is a reference to Ghersi's "feminine spirit" as portrayed in the album artwork and videos. According to the artist, the designer Jesse Kanda asked "if I had a girl's name when I was a kid, I told him that I have this image in my head when I listen to a song of mine that I really love or that I feel happy with. I move really slowly in a very effeminate way [and] close my eyes and I see this naked being who exists in front of an audience. Everyone is simultaneously attracted to it and repulsed".[6]
Upon reflection she felt that "Those were all projections of my psyche; of how I viewed my own sexuality and how I engaged with people through the lens of sensuality. Xen is an 'it'. I lean towards calling Xen 'her' in response to the fact that society historically leans towards men having more power. Me calling Xen 'her' is an equalisation of that."[6] This is reflected in the video for the song "Thievery". Ghersi noted that the song-titles have little meaning except for "Failed" which was written about her then-boyfriend Daniel Sannwald.[6]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[7] |
Metacritic | 79/100[8] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
Consequence | A−[10] |
Mixmag | 5/5[11] |
Mojo | [12] |
The Observer | [13] |
Pitchfork | 8.4/10[3] |
Q | [14] |
Resident Advisor | 3.5/5[15] |
Rolling Stone | [16] |
Uncut | 8/10[17] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 22 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8] AllMusic said "the way Arca plays with and decorates time, letting sounds and moods mutate spontaneously, makes Xen a complete picture of [her] artistry and also promises much more."[9] Clash described the album as a "captivating, at times unexplainable reaching of pained highs and battered lows."[18] Consequence stated that Arca's "time alongside Gesaffelstein added to [her] understanding of the space between beats, and the emotive power of these hesitations."[10] The Observer said Xen is "one of those albums that elegantly restates the appeal of digital music, expressing hues and states of being that fall outside the analogue spectrum."[13]
Pitchfork stated: "Taken as a whole, it is an album about unstable unities, things that cannot easily hold together, wholes breaking to pieces and being put back together again in new and unfamiliar shapes."[3] PopMatters said: "This is uncompromising stuff, with little holding back, and the end effect is one that wears not just its heart, but its soul, on its sleeve."[2] Resident Advisor said "Xen remains as singular–and often as brilliant–as the rest of the Arca catalogue."[15] Fact wrote: "Even if [her] chops as a producer aren't in question, the writing on Xen is too patchy to fully realise Ghersi's ambitions. Still, it's hardly lacking in ideas."[19]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Alejandra Ghersi
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Now You Know" | 3:58 |
2. | "Held Apart" | 1:20 |
3. | "Xen" | 3:18 |
4. | "Sad Bitch" | 1:55 |
5. | "Sisters" | 2:21 |
6. | "Slit Thru" | 2:12 |
7. | "Failed" | 3:40 |
8. | "Family Violence" | 2:13 |
9. | "Thievery" | 2:33 |
10. | "Lonely Thugg" | 2:56 |
11. | "Fish" | 2:07 |
12. | "Wound" | 2:09 |
13. | "Bullet Chained" | 2:51 |
14. | "Tongue" | 2:59 |
15. | "Promise" | 2:52 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
16. | "Boyfriend" | 3:43 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Empath" | 1:37 |
2. | "Get in the Fucking Car" | 2:58 |
3. | "Snatch" | 1:51 |
4. | "Vanity" | 2:30 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Dog Crying at Its Owner's Grave" | 3:05 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
16. | "????? A" ("Empath", "Get in the Fucking Car", "Snatch" and "Vanity") | 9:08 |
17. | "????? B" ("Dog Crying at Its Owner's Grave") | 2:21 |
18. | "Xen" (music video) | 3:20 |
19. | "Thievery" (music video) | 2:33 |
Charts
Chart (2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[23] | 109 |
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[24] | 8 |
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[25] | 6 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[26] | 47 |
References
- Friedlander, Emilie (30 September 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- Houle, Zachary (17 November 2014). "Arca: Xen". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Sherburne, Philip (3 November 2014). "Arca: Xen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- "Xen by Arca on Apple Music". iTunes. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- Friedlander, Emilie (30 September 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader.
- Gorton, Thomas. "Arca: Xen Master". Dazed. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
- "Xen by Arca reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- "Reviews for Xen by Arca". Metacritic. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Phares, Heather. "Xen – Arca". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Staples, Derek (24 November 2014). "Arca – Xen". Consequence. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- Wheeler, S. (24 November 2014). "Arca". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- "Arca: Xen". Mojo (254): 94. January 2015.
- Empire, Kitty (2 November 2014). "Arca: Xen review – producer Alejandro Ghersi's elegant, chromatic debut". The Observer. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- "Arca: Xen". Q (342): 120. January 2015.
- Ryce, Andrew (4 November 2014). "Arca – Xen". Resident Advisor. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
- Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (5 November 2014). "Xen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- "Arca: Xen". Uncut (211): 71. December 2014.
- Oliver, Matt (7 November 2014). "Arca – Xen". Clash. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Kalev, Maya (10 November 2014). "Xen". Fact. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- Arca (4) - Xen (CD, Album) at Discogs
- Arca (4) - Xen (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
- "Xen (????? Edition)". apple. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- "ゼン" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- "Arca Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "Arca Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- "Arca Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2022.