Jump to content

Xen (album): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
link to Jesse Kanda page
No edit summary
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit
Line 6: Line 6:
| Released = {{start date|2014|11|4}}
| Released = {{start date|2014|11|4}}
| Recorded = 2014
| Recorded = 2014
| Genre = [[Electronic music|Electronic]]
| Genre = [[Electronic music|Electronic]] [[ Experimental music|Experimental]]
| Length = 39:24
| Length = 39:24
| Label = [[Mute Records|Mute]]
| Label = [[Mute Records|Mute]]

Revision as of 16:24, 4 June 2018

Untitled

Xen is the debut studio album by Venezuelan electronic musician Arca, released on November 4, 2014 through Mute Records.[2] The album was recorded over a largely improvised six-month period in 2014.[3]

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".[4]

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."[4] 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.[4]

Critical reception

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

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".[5] 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."[6] Clash described the album as a "captivating, at times unexplainable reaching of pained highs and battered lows."[7] 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."[8] 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."[10]

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."[11] 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."[12] Resident Advisor said "Xen remains as singular–and often as brilliant–as the rest of the Arca catalogue."[13] 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."[9]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Alejandro Ghersi

Standard edition[2]
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[16]
No.TitleLength
16."Boyfriend"3:43
Vinyl 10" side C[17]
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[17]
No.TitleLength
1."Dog Crying at Its Owner's Grave"3:05
????? Edition bonus tracks[18]
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)[19] 109
US Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[20] 8
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] 47
US Top Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[20] 6

References

  1. ^ "Xen (Digital Edition)". iTunes. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Xen by Arca on Apple Music". iTunes. November 4, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  3. ^ Friedlander, Emilie (September 30, 2014). "Cover Story: Arca Finds Xen". The Fader.
  4. ^ a b c Gorton, Thomas. "Arca: Xen Master". Dazed. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Xen – Arca". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Xen – Arca". Allmusic. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Oliver, Matt (November 7, 2014). "Arca – Xen". Clash. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Staples, Derek (November 24, 2014). "Arca – Xen". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Kalev, Maya (November 10, 2014). "Arca Xen". Fact. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (November 2, 2014). "Arca: Xen review – producer Alejandro Ghersi's elegant, chromatic debut". The Observer. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Sherburne, Phillip (November 3, 2014). "Arca: Xen". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  12. ^ a b Houle, Zachary (November 17, 2014). "Arca: Xen". PopMatters. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Ryce, Andrew (November 4, 2014). "Arca – Xen". Resident Advisor. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  14. ^ Escobedo Shepherd, Julianne (November 5, 2014). "Arca Xen Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  15. ^ Neibergall, Will. "Arca – Xen". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  16. ^ Arca (4) - Xen (CD, Album) at Discogs
  17. ^ a b Arca (4) - Xen (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs
  18. ^ "Xen (????? Edition)". apple. Retrieved 6 March 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ "ゼン" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  20. ^ a b c "Xen – Arca Awards". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Xen_(album)&oldid=844390322"