“I Always Want Full Creative Freedom” – Valentino Vivace Brings His Mediterranean Disco Universe to the A38 Ship

In Valentino Vivace’s music, the shimmer of Italo disco, Mediterranean emotion and Swiss precision come together in a world that feels both playful and deeply cinematic. What began in a university environment has since grown into a distinct artistic universe: nostalgic, stylish and irresistibly danceable, yet increasingly open to introspection too. Ahead of his first Budapest show at A38 on April 24, we spoke with him about the beginnings of the project, the emotional pull of the Italian language, the freedom of working independently, and the more melancholic new chapter now taking shape.

It’s quite surreal that Valentino Vivace started as a university thesis and ended up sounding like a Campari Spritz somewhere between Lake Geneva and Lake Constance. What did it look like in the very beginning, was it already this world, or something more conceptual? And when you released it, did it feel like a conscious step out of that academic space, or something that simply got out of your hands? 

It was already in this world, two days before I did my first concert as Valentino I cut myself a mullet and that was the starting point. I actually never saw this project as an academic project, the academic space was just the perfect playground for having enough time to create the project and meet cool people. The release was a new step in my life that simply got out of my hands and I never expected it to reach so many people!

Before Valentino Vivace, you were playing in bands like Bumblebees and Chemical Fame, and you are still described as someone who essentially started out as a drummer. Do you still think like a drummer when you write, building songs from groove and repetition rather than melody?

I really love both worlds, they are going hand in hand and I love that when writing. I probably start more with grooves but I’m a huge synthesizer fan so that’s where I can explore all the harmonies and melodies.

You released your first album, Meteoriti completely independently, without a label or management. Looking back now, do you feel that kind of total freedom was essential in defining what Valentino Vivace could become?

Yes 100%. I love doing exactly what I want to do! At the same time it can be dangerous sometimes because you can loose the focus, but if you have a nice team around you that supports what you’re doing it works.

You grew up in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland and later studied across the French and German speaking parts of the country, yet Italian became the emotional core of this project. When a song begins, do you choose the language because of what you want to say, or because of what you want the music to feel like?

I think most of the time because of what I want the music to feel like. I love transmitting emotions through sounds and music.

If someone wanted to understand Valentino Vivace through music history, not just through genre labels, but through actual artists, moments and records, where would you send them first? And is there one song that still feels like the blueprint of what you are trying to do?

Haha that’s a tricky question because I love different vibes and I don’t wanna do the same record twice. Right now I would tell you, if you want to party go to the Discoteca Vivace and if you want to chill on the beach go to Oscillare, my new record coming out in May.

There is an interesting tension in your music between the precise, structured environment of Switzerland and the emotional, cinematic Mediterranean world you create. Do you feel the project is trying to resolve that contrast, or does it actually need that tension in order to exist?

I don’t think it’s trying to resolve the contrast, I really think the two world create this tension but can work together very well. That’s maybe because I really know both sides. I love the Mediterranean world, more emotional and maybe crazy but I also need structures in life in order to feel good and work haha 

With Discoteca Vivace, you turned the album into a complete night, from the first spark to sunrise. But the record itself came together in very different places, including Zurich, Sestri Levante and Mexico City, often between shows. How did those changing environments shape the album? Did each place leave a different imprint on the album you were creating?

Yes every place leaves and gives you something different. That’s why I love to travel and get inspiration from all over. Eroi for instance really reminds me of the incredible moments I spent with my friends in Mexico, and every time I listen to it I’m teletransported there, my heart is full and I have a big smile on my face.

By the time Discoteca Vivace arrived, the project had also moved from a fully independent debut to a second album released by the Milan based label fluidostudio. Did that shift change the way you worked on the record, or mainly the way you imagined its future?

No it didn’t shift the way I worked on the record, as I said I always want to have the full control and creative freedom on the project. That was also my condition to work with them and it worked very well cause they helped me do and shape my idea.

If you could choose your next dream stage anywhere in the world, where would you most want to play, and what makes that place meaningful to you?

I think Primavera Sound Porto because I went there in 2016, it was an incredible lineup and it was a changing moment for me in my way to listen to music and discover new artists. It was amazing! Or Sziget cause I remember everyone wanted to go from Ticino during summer to Hungary and it would be great to play there 😉

New music has been announced for spring 2026, and the first new songs are expected to surface during the Primavera Vivace Tour. Can you reveal one small behind the scenes detail about this new phase, something personal or unexpected that people would never guess from simply hearing the tracks?

It’s for sure a more introspective and calm album. I really felt the need to do that. It’s like a walk on the beach in the morning after the party. It starts from a more melancholic and dark place and goes to a bright and hopeful place.
I hope that it will accompany people during their summer.

You are connected to Liveurope, and you have also been selected for Pro Helvetia’s Fast Forward programme, both of which are meant to help artists grow internationally. From your perspective, what makes platforms like these genuinely valuable, what can they open up that is very hard to build entirely on your own?

I’m very grateful to be part of that cause I think it really helps you connect with people that otherwise would be much more difficult to get in contact with. If you then meet someone who’s really interested to push your project in another market it’s the perfect outcome!

Your A38 show on April 24, 2026 is listed as your upcoming Liveurope date in Budapest, and it will be your first time playing there. What do you expect from the Hungarian audience, and how do you imagine they will react to the Italo disco world you bring with you?

I honestly have no idea and I’m super curious! I’m really excited to play the first time in Budapest and to travel for the first time to Hungary. I will of course give everything to deliver the best show and hopefully come back soon again 🙂