Xen (album)
2014 studio album by Arca
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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] | |||
| Genres | ||||
| 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][failed verification] | 109 |
| US Top Dance Albums (Billboard)[24] | 8 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[25] | 6 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[26] | 47 |