Darude

Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen, known professionally as Darude, is a Finnish DJ and record producer born on July 17, 1975, in Eura, Finland. He developed an interest in music production during his time at Turku Polytechnic, initially using tracker software on his PC. The stage name "Darude" evolved from the nickname "Rude Boy," which he earned for repeatedly playing the song "Rude Boy" by Leila K at a party. This later morphed into "Da Rude" and finally "Darude".

Career Breakthrough with "Sandstorm"

Darude's career took off in 1999 when he released the instrumental trance track "Sandstorm". The song was an international hit, achieving platinum sales status and becoming the world's best-selling 12-inch record in 2000. "Sandstorm" was the lead single from his debut album, "Before the Storm," released in 2000. The album was a commercial success, selling 800,000 copies worldwide and earning Darude three Finnish Grammy Awards. His second single from the album, "Feel the Beat," also achieved significant chart success.

Subsequent Albums and Music Ventures

Following his initial success, Darude released several more studio albums. "Rush" was released in 2003, followed by "Label This!" in 2007. His fourth studio album, "Moments," came out in 2015, and his most recent album, "Together," was released in 2023. In 2011, he co-founded the record label EnMass Music. More recently, he started a new label called Vibing Out, a name inspired by his Twitch stream community.

Later Career and Eurovision

Darude has continued to tour and produce music, maintaining a presence in the global electronic dance music scene. In 2019, he represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest alongside singer Sebastian Rejman with the song "Look Away". They performed in the first semi-final but did not qualify for the grand final. In 2025, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Sandstorm", Darude embarked on the STORM 25 World Tour.