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DarudeDarude

To date, Darude remains one of dance music’s most influential stars. At the age of 24 and at the height of the trance boom of the early ’00s, Finnish electronic artist Ville Virtanen created the milestone single ‘Sandstorm’ under his pseudonym Darude. The track became one of the biggest-selling dance singles in electronic dance music history. With global sales of over 10 million units and more than 600 million streams, making it one of the most significant trance records ever made.

What started as a national release in Finland would become a worldwide phenomenon. Achieving the #1 spot on the Finnish Dance Chart, where it would dominate for 17 weeks. ‘Sandstorm’ would become the world’s best-selling 12″ vinyl by the end of 2000. ‘Sandstorm’ achieved cult-like status and earned support from industry tastemakers such as Radio 1’s Pete Tong, Tiësto and Paul van Dyk. The single also received pan-wide international radio support. More recently, DJs such as Calvin Harris, Zane Lowe, Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Diplo, and David Guetta have played the track.

In September 2000, Darude released his debut artist album, Before the Storm. The album went double Platinum in Finland and Gold in Canada. Darude embarked on an album tour with shows throughout Europe, Australasia, and Asia. Before heading to North America for a 7-week run of shows. Where he solidified his name throughout the North American club scene. Second artists album, Rush, shared chart-climbing success with ‘Music and ‘Next to You’ reaching #1 in numerous European charts. Followed by Label This! in 2006.

It comes as no surprise that Darude has been honoured with numerous industry accolades over the years including 2 x German Dance Awards, a Dance Star Award, a USA Golden Turntable DJ Award, and is a 3 x Finnish Grammy Award winner. Darude has also been featured in polls, such as the Top 100 DJs and America’s Favourite DJ and had ‘Sandstorm’ listed in numerous polls as one of the ‘greatest dance tracks of all time.’

With appearances globally across radio and TV, the sound of Darude has featured in Hollywood movies, adverts for Nike, and PlayStation, as well as being a popular feature for sporting broadcasts like the NFL, Ice Hockey World Championships, Wimbledon, UFC, Premier League, UEFA European Championship, Winter Olympics, and FIFA World Cup. Additionally, Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’ footprint would also weave itself into the fabric of the dawn of the Esports streaming era.

As a touring artist, Darude’s music has taken him to perform at the most notable events dance music offers, from festival appearances for Tomorrowland to Parookaville, Dancefestopia, Colors Festival, Radio 1’s One Big Sunday, Groove Cruise, Weekend Festival Baltic, and Future Music Festival. Darude has also headlined many of the world’s best clubs, including Ministry of Sound, Exchange LA, and Home. A proud Finnish native, Darude was honoured with ushering in 2017 with a New Year’s Eve countdown performance in front of 100,000 people to celebrate 100 years of Finnish independence. As an emblem for sporting tournaments worldwide, Darude performed at the 2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships opening ceremony in Tampere, Finland.

Following several years of straight touring, Darude returned to the studio to complete his 4th artist album ‘Moments’. The 2015 release was a new and exciting chapter in his career, showcasing a range of styles and influences, featuring both song-led and club-focused records. The ‘Moments’ era of Darude’s career began with the widely acclaimed first single ‘Beautiful Alien’, followed by the album’s release through Warner Music.

Ever the experimentalist with his music, Darude accepted an invite to represent his home country Finland in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest held in Tel Aviv – the world’s biggest live music event uniting some 200 million people every May. Working with The Giant Leap frontman Sebastian Rejman, Darude appeared at Eurovision with the nation’s selected song choice, ‘Look Away’. The song was one of three possible options that included ‘Release Me’ and ‘Superman’. All tracks were signed and released via Armada Music.

Alongside his in-person appearances, fans have also been able to catch him during his weekly live-streaming party #VibingOut. The show format allows Darude to connect with fans, chat with guests, and diversify the bpm of his virtual DJ sets.

2023 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the #VibingOut story. Through an ambitious drive to nurture impactful new music, embrace new technologies, and support artists, Darude has evolved the spirit of Vibing Out into a broader creative hub by launching an audio and visual record label of the same name.

Following early singles ‘Outlaws’, ‘Nobody Listens’, and ‘Breathe’ on the new Vibing Out recording label, 2023 saw the anticipated release of Darude’s fifth studio album ‘Together’. A 12-track long-player dedicated to fans and friends and stacked with emotive rushes and pure rave energy to soundtrack dancefloor memories already made, and those still yet to come. With over two decades in the game, ‘Together’ as an album is a testament to Darude’s continuous evolution and marks an exciting new chapter in his career story.

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