Se Amaba Asi

ブラッド・オレンジとの共作で知られ、コーチェラにも出演する注目のインディー・ポップ・デュオによる最新作がリリース！

ブラッド・オレンジことデヴ・ハインズがプロデューサーとして参加したデビューEPで話題を呼び、世界最大級のフェス、コーチェラにも出演するなど注目を集めてきたインディー・エレクトロ・ポップ・デュオ、ブスカブラが待望のセカンド・アルバム『Se Amba Asi』を〈Domino〉よりリリース！

アルバム全体としては過去のラテン音楽やトロピカル音楽に影響を受けた曲を、現代的なレンズを通して表現しており、伝統的な恋愛観と現代的な恋愛観の狭間で葛藤する様を描いた作品となっている。
哀愁漂うギター・サウンドと人懐っこさを感じるキュートな歌声が絡みあう先行シングル「El Camino」は、スペイン語で「道」を意味し、現代社会における人間関係の葛藤と挑戦を探求したという必聴曲！

Released in June 2025, Se Amaba Asi is only Buscabullas second album in a career that spans now more than a decade. Those who became acquainted with the duo through their much-acclaimed debut Regresa, an impassionate reflection on their native Puerto Ricos coping with the aftermath of a series of natural disasters, may be slightly taken aback by the noticeable change in perspective, as Se Amaba Asi was conceived almost as a couples therapy exercise. However, both thematically and sonically, longtime fans will recognize the album as a logical continuation of Buscabullas early EPs, an icy yet suave brand of electro-pop reminiscent of acts such as Chairlift, Goldfrapp, or Tennis, made unique by Luis Alfredo Del Valle and Raquel Berrios distinctive Latin roots. Which, in this instance, prefer to lurk behind a glossy surface of disco synths and pulsating percussions and only come to the fore at designated times, as in the rhythm patterns of "El Empuje," "Mi Marido," and "De Lejito." In fact, the main Latin influence on this record may derive not so much from folk genres but from the romantic pop ballads of the 1970s and 80s, the kind of song that used to populate telenovelas soundtracks, most evident on tracks such as "Se Amaba Asi" and "Divino Tesoro." At any rate, what is most quintessentially Buscabulla about Se Amaba Asi is the curious distancing effect between the ever-even, lulling character of Berrios voice and her lyrics subject matter, now turned deeply personal, a deliberate choice to remove the melodrama from a genre that lives by it. Always extremely savvy, the duo play around this "non-dramatic drama" concept, dissecting a cooling relationship in a tone of voice more suited for a weather report, either reinforcing it with impossibly airy production and chilly Auto-Tuned vocals or breaking the spell with the surprising inclusion of two numbers sung by Del Valle -- who had never assumed the lead vocalist role before. By its own careful design, this material runs the risk of being mistaken as soothing background music by non-Spanish speakers. Concise, impeccably performed, produced, and sequenced, Se Amaba Asi thrives on the contrast between its gossamer surface and hidden depths. ~ Mariano Prunes