Raised in Naga, Camarines Sur, Buendia attended University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, where he met drummer Raimund Marasigan, bassist Buddy Zabala, and guitarist Marcus Adoro, with whom he would later form Eraserheads.

Buendia founded the independent record label Offshore Music in 2016,[1] which has represented artists Ena Mori, Pinkmen and Sansette.

[5] Buendia wrote his first proper song "Unstrung Heroes" at the age of 14, which he later recorded with rapper Francis M. for his 1996 album Happy Battle.

[7] The following year, Buendia and dela Peña held auditions for a new band, of which freshman Raimund Marasigan responded.

He invited his fellow freshmen Buddy Zabala and Marcus Adoro for a jam session at Alberto's rehearsal studio in Cubao, but nothing materialized.

[8] Buendia and dela Peña later formed a new band called Sunday School, which focused on new wave and had session drummers including Marasigan.

[7] Marasigan and Buendia combined Sunday School and Curfew into a new band, which they named Eraserheads after the David Lynch film.

[9] Buendia, who majored in mass communication with a degree in film at UP, sold Bicol express to his dorm mates to earn money, but later dropped out.

"[13] He also contended with audience expectations as the band started to experiment with their music, later writing "Para sa Masa" in response.

[14] In an interview, Adoro revealed that Buendia sent a cryptic text message to his band members that "it's graduation time", referring to him being a year ahead of them at UP.

[17] The band reunited for a concert in August 2008, which was cut short after Buendia experienced chest pains and was rushed to the hospital.

[20] The band embarked on a world tour between 2012 and 2014,[21] later releasing two new songs, "Sabado" and "1995" (co-written by Buendia), for Esquire magazine.

[25][26] After leaving Eraserheads, Buendia formed the underground band the Mongols under the stage name Jesus "Dizzy" Ventura.

The band consisted of Buendia as lead vocalist, Jerome Velasco of Teeth on guitars, Yanni Yuzon on bass, and Bogs Jugo of Daydream Cycle on drums.

[28] When Velasco left the Mongols in 2005 to study in the US, the rest of the band added Dok Sergio to the lineup and changed their name to Pupil.

They released a self-titled album in 2013, featuring the singles "K.U.P.A.L" and "Paakyat Ka Pa Lang, Pababa Na Ako".

[37] Buendia eventually wrote and directed the short film Waiting Shed, produced by Tikoy Aguiluz for Cinemanila.

[38] Starring Buendia's then-partner Diane Ventura, it was screened in 2009 by Cinemanila's Sine Barangay alongside former bandmate Marcus Adoro's short film The Artist Is In.

[42] It was used as the theme song to the indie film Ang Pamilyang Hindi Lumuluha starring Sharon Cuneta.

[43] In the same year, Buendia pitched a feature screenplay titled Kontrata with producer Pam Reyes to the Cinemalaya-DGPI Filmpitch.

[44] Buendia released the song "Metro" in 2021 as part of We Need a Leader, a voter awareness campaign for the 2022 Philippine presidential election.

[45] He later re-recorded a new version of the song in support of presidential candidate Leni Robredo and her running mate Kiko Pangilinan.

[49] In 2010, Buendia and Hilera collaborated on a Tagalog rendition of "La Paloma" as the theme song to the film Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story.

vocalist Kat Agarrado, Turbo Goth member Sarah Gaugler, and drummer Pepe Smith on the song "Bungo sa Bangin" as part of Rock Rizal, a project by Rock Ed Philippines to commemorate Jose Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary.

[50] They also collaborated with Rico Blanco and Barbie Almalbis in 2013 on a cover of Heber Bartolome's "Tayo'y Mga Pinoy" for a promotional campaign for Smart Communications.

[55] Buendia also collaborated with the indie rock band Cheats, having previously produced their self-titled debut album in 2016.

[61] Offshore Music has signed artists such as Apartel,[59] Itchyworms,[59] Jun Lopito,[59] The Ransom Collective,[59] Eyedress,[59] and Ena Mori.

[74] During Eraserheads's reunion concert in August 2008, Buendia experienced chest pains and was rushed to Makati Medical Center.