Xen (album)

Xen
Studio album by Arca
Released November 4, 2014 (2014-11-04)
Recorded 2014
Genre Electronic Experimental
Length 39:24
Label Mute
Producer Arca
Arca chronology
&&&&&
(2013)&&&&&2013		 Xen
(2014)		 Sheep
(2015)Sheep2015
Digital deluxe edition cover[1]
Singles from Xen
  1. "Thievery"
    Released: September 30, 2014
  2. "Now You Know"
    Released: October 31, 2014
  3. "Xen"
    Released: November 17, 2014
  4. "Sad Bitch" / "Wound"
    Released: April 16, 2015

Xen is the debut studio album by Venezuelan electronic musician Arca, released on November 4, 2014 through Mute Records.[3] The album was recorded over a largely improvised six-month period in 2014.[4]

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".[5]

Upon reflection he 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."[5] 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 his boyfriend Daniel Sannwald.[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[6]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Clash8/10[8]
Consequence of SoundA-[9]
Fact[10]
The Observer[11]
Pitchfork8.4/10[12]
PopMatters[13]
Resident Advisor3.5/5[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
Tiny Mix Tapes[16]

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".[6] AllMusic said "the way Arca plays with and decorates time, letting sounds and moods mutate spontaneously, makes Xen a complete picture of his artistry and also promises much more."[7] Clash described the album as a "captivating, at times unexplainable reaching of pained highs and battered lows."[8] Consequence of Sound stated that Arca's "time alongside Gesaffelstein added to his understanding of the space between beats, and the emotive power of these hesitations."[9] 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."[11]

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."[12] 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."[13] Resident Advisor said "Xen remains as singular–and often as brilliant–as the rest of the Arca catalogue."[14] Fact wrote: "Even if his 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."[10]

Track listing

All tracks written by Alejandro Ghersi.

Standard edition[3]
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

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[20] 109
US Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[21] 8
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[21] 47
US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[21] 6

References

  1. ↑ "Xen (Digital Edition)". iTunes. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Xen (Digital Edition)". iTunes. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Xen by Arca on Apple Music". iTunes. November 4, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  4. ↑ Friedlander, Emilie (September 30, 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader.
  5. 1 2 3 Gorton, Thomas. "Arca: Xen Master". Dazed. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Xen – Arca". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Phares, Heather. "Xen – Arca". Allmusic. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Oliver, Matt (November 7, 2014). "Arca – Xen". Clash. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Staples, Derek (November 24, 2014). "Arca – Xen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  10. 1 2 Kalev, Maya (November 10, 2014). "Arca Xen". Fact. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  11. 1 2 Empire, Kitty (November 2, 2014). "Arca: Xen review – producer Alejandro Ghersi's elegant, chromatic debut". The Observer. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Sherburne, Phillip (November 3, 2014). "Arca: Xen". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  13. 1 2 Houle, Zachary (November 17, 2014). "Arca: Xen". PopMatters. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  14. 1 2 Ryce, Andrew (November 4, 2014). "Arca – Xen". Resident Advisor. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  15. ↑ Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (November 5, 2014). "Arca Xen Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  16. ↑ Neibergall, Will. "Arca – Xen". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  17. ↑ Arca (4) - Xen (CD, Album) at Discogs
  18. 1 2 Arca (4) - Xen (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
  19. ↑ "Xen (????? Edition)". apple. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  20. ↑ "ゼン" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 "Xen – Arca Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
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