Xen (album)

Last updated

Xen
Arca Xen album cover.jpg
Studio album by
Released4 November 2014 (2014-11-04)
Recorded2014 [1]
Genre
Length39:24
Label Mute
Producer Arca
Arca chronology
&&&&&
(2013)
Xen
(2014)
Sheep
(2015)
Singles from Xen
  1. "Thievery"
    Released: 30 September 2014
  2. "Now You Know"
    Released: 31 October 2014
  3. "Xen"
    Released: 17 November 2014
  4. "Sad Bitch" / "Wound"
    Released: 16 April 2015

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]

Contents

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

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic? 7.8/10 [7]
Metacritic 79/100 [8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Consequence A− [10]
Mixmag 5/5 [11]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Observer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Pitchfork 8.4/10 [3]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Resident Advisor 3.5/5 [15]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [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.

Standard edition [4]
No.TitleLength
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
Japanese bonus track [20]
No.TitleLength
16."Boyfriend"3:43
Vinyl 10" side C [21]
No.TitleLength
1."Empath"1:37
2."Get in the Fucking Car"2:58
3."Snatch"1:51
4."Vanity"2:30
Vinyl 10" side D [21]
No.TitleLength
1."Dog Crying at Its Owner's Grave"3:05
????? Edition bonus tracks [22]
No.TitleLength
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] [ failed verification ]109
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [24] 8
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [25] 6
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [26] 47

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References

  1. Friedlander, Emilie (30 September 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader . Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 Houle, Zachary (17 November 2014). "Arca: Xen". PopMatters . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Sherburne, Philip (3 November 2014). "Arca: Xen". Pitchfork . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Xen by Arca on Apple Music". iTunes . 4 November 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  5. Friedlander, Emilie (30 September 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader .
  6. 1 2 3 Gorton, Thomas. "Arca: Xen Master". Dazed . Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  7. "Xen by Arca reviews". AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Reviews for Xen by Arca". Metacritic . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  9. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Xen – Arca". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  10. 1 2 Staples, Derek (24 November 2014). "Arca – Xen". Consequence . Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  11. Wheeler, S. (24 November 2014). "Arca". Mixmag . Archived from the original on 28 November 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  12. "Arca: Xen". Mojo (254): 94. January 2015.
  13. 1 2 Empire, Kitty (2 November 2014). "Arca: Xen review – producer Alejandro Ghersi's elegant, chromatic debut". The Observer . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  14. "Arca: Xen". Q (342): 120. January 2015.
  15. 1 2 Ryce, Andrew (4 November 2014). "Arca – Xen". Resident Advisor . Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  16. Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo (5 November 2014). "Xen". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  17. "Arca: Xen". Uncut (211): 71. December 2014.
  18. Oliver, Matt (7 November 2014). "Arca – Xen". Clash . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  19. Kalev, Maya (10 November 2014). "Xen". Fact . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  20. Arca (4) - Xen (CD, Album) at Discogs
  21. 1 2 Arca (4) - Xen (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
  22. "Xen (????? Edition)". apple. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  23. "ゼン" (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  24. "Arca Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  25. "Arca Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  26. "Arca Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 November 2022.