| Xen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 November 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 [1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:24 | |||
| Label | Mute | |||
| Producer | Arca | |||
| Arca chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Xen | ||||
| ||||
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]
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]
| 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]
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 |
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) [23] [ failed verification ] | 109 |
| US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [24] | 8 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [25] | 6 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [26] | 47 |
Claire Elise Boucher, known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her early work has been described as extending from "lo-fi R&B" to futuristic dance-pop, and has incorporated influences from electronic music, hip hop, and rock. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. She has released five studio albums.
"Hold My Liquor" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album Yeezus (2013). It was primarily produced by West and longtime collaborator Mike Dean, who also provides a guitar solo, with additional production from Arca and Noah Goldstein. It features vocals from rapper Chief Keef and singer-songwriter Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. It is a house ballad that is built upon a pulsating synth beat with metallic stabs. In the song, West stumbles into an ex-girlfriend's home for reckless sex, with lyrics that contain references to substance abuse and issues with relationships and self-image.
Alejandra Ghersi Rodríguez, known professionally as Arca, is a Venezuelan musician and record producer based in Barcelona, Spain. She initially began releasing music under the name of Nuuro. After attending the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Ghersi first released the EP Baron Libre (2012) under the name Arca and subsequently released the EPs Stretch 1 and Stretch 2; the latter experimented with hip hop and brought her attention from prominent music publications.
Tahliah Debrett Barnett, known professionally as FKA Twigs, is an English singer, songwriter, and dancer. Born and raised in Cheltenham, she became a backup dancer for numerous famous musicians after moving to London at the age of 17, and made her own musical debut with EP1 (2012).
Kelela Mizanekristos is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim.
English singer and songwriter FKA Twigs has released two studio albums, one mixtape, three extended plays, twelve singles, one promotional single and eighteen music videos.
Vulnicura is the eighth studio album by Icelandic musician and singer Björk. It was produced by Björk, Arca and The Haxan Cloak, and released on 20 January 2015 by One Little Indian Records. Björk said the album expresses her feelings before and after her breakup with American contemporary artist Matthew Barney and the healing process.
Mutant is the second studio album by Venezuelan electronic music producer Arca. It was released on 20 November 2015 via Mute.
Art Angels is the fourth studio album by Canadian musician Grimes, pseudonym of Claire Elise Boucher. It was digitally released on November 6, 2015, through 4AD, and in physical formats on December 11. Boucher began planning the record in 2013 as the follow-up to her third studio album, Visions; however, for unknown reasons, she scrapped most of the material from these sessions and began a new set of recordings in 2014. The track "Realiti", which came from the earlier recordings, was released as a demo in early 2015.
Arca is the third studio album by Venezuelan musician Arca, released on 7 April 2017 through XL Recordings. It is the first studio album to feature lead vocals by Arca herself, sung in her native language of Spanish. It was released to universal acclaim from critics.
&&&&& is the debut mixtape by Venezuelan electronic producer Arca. It was released on 23 July 2013 through Hippos in Tanks on SoundCloud. Even though 14 tracks are listed, the entire mixtape is in sequence as a single track. A vinyl release of the mixtape with an alternative album cover was released in January 2014 and was limited to 500 copies. On 28 July 2020, Arca announced a re-release of &&&&& through PAN, making the mixtape available on mainstream streaming platforms for the first time on 18 September 2020.
Venezuelan electronic music producer Arca has released ten studio albums, one remix album, two mixtapes, one compilation album, four DJ mixes, one box set, four extended plays (EPs), twenty-eight singles, twenty-three music videos, and ten remixes.
Take Me Apart is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Kelela. It was released on October 6, 2017, through Warp. Combining electronic music and R&B, the album was noted for its futuristic sound and its incorporation of various musical styles. Kelela worked on the album for four years with producers she had previously collaborated with on her previous releases, Cut 4 Me (2013) and Hallucinogen (2015).
Utopia is the ninth studio album by Icelandic singer-musician Björk. It was primarily produced by Björk and Venezuelan electronic record producer Arca, and released on 24 November 2017 through One Little Independent Records in the United Kingdom and The Orchard Enterprises in the United States. The album was acclaimed by music critics for its production, songwriting and Björk's vocals, and later received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, becoming Björk's eighth consecutive nomination in the category.
Kick I is the fourth studio album by Venezuelan electronic record producer Arca. Recorded between Barcelona and London, the album was released on 26 June 2020 through XL Recordings. Kick I was presented with four singles: "Nonbinary", "Time", "Mequetrefe", and "KLK" featuring Rosalía. It also includes collaborations with Björk, Shygirl, and Sophie. The album was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, as well as for Best Alternative Music Album at the 22nd Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Blane Muise, better known by her stage name Shygirl, is an English rapper, DJ, singer, songwriter and co-head/founder of record label and collective Nuxxe. Shygirl's music incorporates elements of dance music, industrial hip-hop, experimental pop, grime and deconstructed club. She has also been associated with the hyperpop music scene. Shygirl rose to prominence after working with close collaborator and friend Sega Bodega, as well as other well-known experimental producers Arca and Sophie, and gaining attention from the likes of Rihanna, who has used various Nuxxe tracks for her Fenty Beauty commercials and fashion shows. Shygirl has released various singles since 2016, and two EPs titled Cruel Practice and Alias. Her debut studio album Nymph was released on 30 September 2022.
Stretch 2 is an extended play by Venezuelan producer Arca. It was released on 6 August 2012 by UNO NYC, following its predecessor Stretch 1 in April.
Kick II is the fifth studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was scheduled to be released on 3 December 2021, but released early on 30 November 2021, through XL Recordings as a continuation to her 2020 record Kick I, and is the second entry in Kick quintet. Kick II was supported by three singles: "Born Yesterday", featuring vocals by Australian musician Sia, as well as "Prada" and "Rakata", released as a double single. Its cover art was photographed by Frederik Heyman. The album received positive reviews and was nominated for the Libera Award for Best Latin Album and the Latin Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
Kick III is the sixth studio album by Venezuelan record producer and singer Arca. The album was scheduled to be released on 3 December 2021, but released early on 1 December 2021, through XL Recordings as a continuation to her 2020 record Kick I, and is the third entry in the Kick quintet. Kick II, Kick III, Kick IIII and Kick IIIII were released the same week. Kick III is supported by lead single "Incendio" and "Electra Rex". The album received positive reviews from critics.
Caprisongs is the first mixtape by English singer-songwriter FKA Twigs. It was released on 14 January 2022 through Young and Atlantic Records. The mixtape features guest appearances from Pa Salieu, the Weeknd, Shygirl, Dystopia, Rema, Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith, and Unknown T. The production is handled by el Guincho, who co-executive produced the mixtape alongside Twigs, as well as Arca, Cirkut, and Mike Dean, among others. The mixtape was supported by one single, "Tears in the Club", which features the Weeknd, and one promotional single, "Jealousy", which features Rema.
