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Venus Riviera is a new name for a long-running synthwave music project helmed by Max Ventura and only recently solidified into a real band. Max returned from the U.S. in 1999 after several years with his own electro-rock band based in NYC. Once back in Italy, he opened a synthesizer and DJ-gear store with an attached recording studio where he produced dance music for clubs. In 2002, through an ad in a London-based magazine he got in touch with Darren Edwards, a Welsh singer/songwriter, who flew to Italy and recorded a couple dance songs in Max's studio, returning in 2003 and following up with more songs. This batch was kept in store for a later release, in the form of an E.P. named “Starfighters” (2004). Darren returned to Italy in the following years to record house-music tracks with DJ Mike Tamburini, a noted producer of club-oriented dancefloor hits and a friend of Max's.
Years passed. Max moved to Northern Italy and forego music production for a while, working in light design and lasershow for concerts. Darren started working as an independent video producer in Wales.
In 2025 Max revitalized his passion and began recording again his own material. This rebooted project picked up speed when he contacted online Mona Barry, a.k.a. Aruba, a singer/songwriter from Dublin, Ireland, who initially offered to collaborate but then joined as full time vocalist and lyricist. Mona was a late starter in her music journey, having fulfilled her lifelong dream of being in a working band only in 2000. During this time her passion for all things music ignited and subsequently she's embarked on a solo career, having released several songs over the last 5 years under the Aruba moniker. She started a degree in Music Production in Sept ‘26 while immersing herself in Venus Riviera and collectively creating new material in ’26/'27.
Working online, Max and Mona exchanged files until a complete new batch of 13 songs was ready, in the span of only 5 months. Mixed and mastered in Milan's B.S. Studio by Alessio Saglia, they are being released starting September 9th, 2026, until the full album will be out in December.
DJ Mike Tamburini has already began working on club-oriented remixes of some of the current songs.
Darren Edwards will be joining again in the future but for the time being he's on a sabbatical.
Live gigs with lasershow are being rehearsed and will be forthcoming in the spring.
And that's about it, if you wanna know more contact us.
