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

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
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

Standard edition^[4]

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

All tracks are written by Alejandra Ghersi

Japanese bonus track^[20]

No.	Title	Length
16.	"Boyfriend"	3:43

Vinyl 10" side C^[21]

No.	Title	Length
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.	Title	Length
1.	"Dog Crying at Its Owner's Grave"	3:05

????? Edition bonus tracks^[22]

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/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[24]	8
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[25]	6
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[26]	47

References

1. Friedlander, Emilie (30 September 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
2. Houle, Zachary (17 November 2014). "Arca: Xen". PopMatters. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
3. Sherburne, Philip (3 November 2014). "Arca: Xen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
4. "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. Gorton, Thomas. "Arca: Xen Master". Dazed. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
7. "Xen by Arca reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
8. "Reviews for Xen by Arca". Metacritic. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
9. Phares, Heather. "Xen – Arca". AllMusic. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
10. 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. 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. 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. 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.