Ville Virtanen (born July 17, 1975), better known as Darude, is a Finnish DJ and record producer.
Darude is best known for his debut single "Sandstorm", a trance instrumental track that gained massive popularity from its use at sporting events and in early internet memes. Notable for its lack of vocals, which was highly unusual for a mainstream hit at the time, it's also credited as being one of the first dance tracks that became massively popular in the United States, which eventually led to the creation and rise of other dance subgenres like electro house, EDM, and dubstep in the country.
In 2019, it was announced that Darude would be representing his native country at that year's Eurovision Song Contest with vocalist Sebastian Rejman. Similarly to predecessor Saara Aalto, their song "Look Away" was selected from a choice of three options in Finland's revised Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu selection format.
Discography:
- Before the Storm (2000)
- Rush (2003)
- Label This! (2007)
- Moments (2015)
His music contains examples of:
- Instrumentals: His hit "Sandstorm" is a well-known example of one. He is largely an instrumental act but occasionally has guest vocals.
- Offscreen Teleportation: In the music video of "Sandstorm", the chase between the two guards and the woman with the briefcase occurs across Helsinki, and every scene change, Darude is nearby watching the events.
- Pursued Protagonist: The woman in the music video of "Sandstorm" was running from gunmen and dogs with a suitcase in hand.
- Riding into the Sunset: At the end of "Sandstorm"'s music video, the characters ride a boat into the sunset.
- Tap on the Head: In the music video of "Sandstorm", one of the pursuers betrays the other by kicking him in the face, knocking him out instantly.
