Xen (album)

## Singles

1. "Held Apart"
Released: September 4, 2014
2. "Thievery"
Released: September 30, 2014
3. "Now You Know"
Released: October 31, 2014

## Promotional Singles

1. "Xen"
Released: November 17, 2014
2. "Sad Bitch"
Released: April 16, 2015
3. "Wound"
Released: April 16, 2015

"**Xen**" is the debut studio album by Venezuelan electronic musician Arca, released on November 4, 2014 through Mute Records. The album was recorded over a largely improvised six-month period in 2014. The album was supported by singles "Held apart", "Thievery" and "Now You Know" with promotional singles "Xen", A/B singles "Sad Bitch" and "Wound"

## 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".

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." 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 boyfriend Daniel Sannwald.

## Critical reception

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". 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." *Clash* described the album as a "captivating, at times unexplainable reaching of pained highs and battered lows." *Consequence of Sound* stated that Arca's "time alongside Gesaffelstein added to [her] understanding of the space between beats, and the emotive power of these hesitations." *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."

*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." *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." *Resident Advisor* said "Xen" remains as singular–and often as brilliant–as the rest of the Arca catalogue." *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."

## Physical

A vinyl and CD were released as opposed to the album release.

Alejandra holding the Xen CD.
### Deluxe

In 2015, a limited deluxe edition was released limited to 500 copies. The packaging included: Fully black packaging cover, 12" Xen (regular) LP, 10" ????? A and ????? B record, booklet for 12" and a digital download.

264/500 limited deluxe vinyl packageLayout of inside package
## Gallery

(Also Thievery single cover.)This is baby Xen.
## Track-listing

All tracks are written and produced by Alejandra Ghersi.

## Trivia

* This is the only and first Arca album to receive a deluxe edition up to date.
* Xen and Mutant are very hard and expensive on vinyl/LP. Vinyl records for both albums on Discogs may go up towards almost $200, and both albums are very rare to find factory sealed.

## Navigation

Arca Tour 2014 · Videography · Gallery

"Now You Know"
"Held Apart"
"Xen
"Sad Bitch"
"Sisters"
"Slit Thru"
"Failed"

"Family Violence"
"Thievery"
"Lonely Thugg"
"Fish"
"Wound"
"Bullet Chained"
"Tongue"
"Promise"

Japanese edition
"Boyfriend"
????? edition
"????? A" ("Empath", "Get In The Fucking Car", "Snatch", and "Vanity")
"????? B" ("Dog Crying At Its Owner's Grave")
"Xen" (music video)
"Thievery" (music video)

Arca • Jesse Kanda • Matt Colton • Mute Records