In October 2024, Budino rolled into the HHV store, just like their beats into the hearts of Berlin’s club scene. Budino not only gets the crowd moving, but is also repeatedly on the road with new, innovative projects. In 2024, she co-founded the queer party series and podcast series »Nothing Special« in Berlin, which has already established a large fan base with just three parties and will enter its fourth round on 24 November. Budino, aka Valeria Croce, also launched her own label Sonic Dream Recordings together with Ivan Berko in 2023, with which she promotes her very own sound.
From Brescia to Berlin – always in motion
Budino has lived in Berlin since 2012. She grew up in a small village near Brescia, where her access to music culture was very limited at a young age. To buy her first records, she often travelled for hours to the next largest city – the lack of local record shops shaped her approach to DJing from an early age. Even though her record collection is now anything but manageable, Budino channels her diverse influences in a concentrated, almost minimalist form: in the 2010s, she made an exciting name for herself from Berlin to New York with her spacey sets in particular, which fuse dark, trance-like beats, pulsating tribal elements and cosmic sounds.
She started her career as a DJ and event organiser with her first party series »Oscillator« (2014-2017) and a residency at the legendary party series »Cocktail d’Amore« at the now closed Griessmühle. She also shaped the event series »Dancing for Mental Health«, which she launched together with Tom Bolas and Dama and which became known for its alternative, cross-genre DJ sets. Today, Budino combines various influences in her vinyl sets, ranging from industrial to Italo disco to psychedelic forms. But her trademark remains clear: driving rhythms and the urge to bring new musical soundscapes to life. Anyone who experiences them live knows that the vibe is unmistakable and leaves an impression that lingers for a long time.
