Žen

About

" Prog indie post rock band with queer feminist attitude "

Who is Žen?  Pronounced /xzen/, this three-member audio-visual collective deconstructs the word “žena” (woman), by removing the suffix “a” for the feminine gender, thus acquiring the masculine  form “žen”. In the same way, for almost 15 years, Ivona, Sara and Eva have been deconstructing their music style too.

Their beginnings date back to 2010 in a Zagreb squat called Medika, where they formed a band that quickly gained a reputation of one of the best new indie rock bands in the region. Often described as a fusion of atmospheric post-rock, shoegaze and the complexity of math rock, their sound consistently pushes the boundaries.

Žen’s debut album ‘I onda je sve počelo’ (And Then It All Began), released in 2013, introduced their innovative sound to a wider audience. It was followed by their critically acclaimed second album, ‘Jantar’ (Amber), in 2015. Their third album, ‘Sunčani ljudi’ (Sunny People), released in 2017 for Monlee Records, continued to expand their rich sonic expression, while simultaneously questioning gender and societal norms and stereotypes.

In 2024, after a  seven-year hiatus, the trio will release their latest album ‘Ciklus’, introduced by the single ‘Nedamise’, after which we expect to see them on stages throughout Europe. Known for their energetic and visually captivating live shows, Žen, along with their fourth associate member in charge of visuals, Tanja, have already amassed over 400 live performances, playing in locations ranging from Greece to France.

Despite their extensive touring history, it is not the numbers that this creative collective values most. Their true pride lies in staying authentic to themselves over the years, and contributing to social change for future generations.