The late Alan Vega, singer for the duo Suicide, was fond of using the expression âminimal is maximalâ to describe their music. That slogan is quoted approvingly by the singer and multi-instrumentalist David A. Arraya, founder of Lust Era, a moody group born in San Juan, Puerto Ricoâs Caimito neighborhood and presently based in the U.S. Like Suicide, Lust Era are also a duo heavy on electronics, extremes, and what Arraya calls a âraw, wiry, and dark romanticism.â
Five years into their career, Lust EraâArraya and guitarist Luis SepĂșlvedaâhave assembled a seemingly daunting discography, made up of over 30 singles, EPs, albums, and compilations. And while their music fits generally into the âpost-punk/gothâ vein, that shorthand undersells the range of what Lust Era have accomplished. Singing in both Spanish and English, Arraya has vocal charisma to burn, and he and SepĂșlveda prove equally adept at frenetic guitar-driven rave-ups and slow-burn mood pieces.
-Ned Raggett