Like generations of Puerto Ricans before them, Raquel Berríos and Luis Alfredo Del Valle of experimental pop duo Buscabulla (slang for “troublemaker”) moved to the mainland United States to hustle for their dreams, but a longing for their island ran deep, never escaping their thoughts during the decade they resided there.
It was in New York City that they forged their sound, elevated bedroom productions and unique juxtaposition of stylistic highs and lows: Raquel’s textured, high-pitched vocals counterpointed by Luis Alfredo’s poignant bassline; minimalist melodies that evoke throwback salsa and R&B; and whispery re-imaginings of catchphrases from 90s reggaeton and every-day island vernacular.
Buscabulla’s first two Eps, I (produced by Dev Hynes) and II, garnered attention and an international hunger for the band. In 2018, and despite their growing success, in 2018, in the wake of Hurricane María having wreaked havoc on an island immersed in economic disarray, Raquel and Luis Alfredo’s decided to move back to Puerto Rico. It was in this context that Buscabulla wrote their debut album. Full of angst and an underlying sense of loss, Regresa, which means “return”, is a bittersweet, introspective, eye-opening journey.
The album, recorded in its entirety in the band home studio, is an emotional roller coaster in which they face and ponder the issues affecting them and Puerto Rican society at large. In Regresa, Buscabulla calls for self-reflection, awakening and perseverance in the midst of an uncertain future.