Darude

Darude is the stage name of Ville Virtanen (born July 17, 1975), a Finnish DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. He is best known for his instrumental trance track "Sandstorm," which gained international recognition and is a popular internet meme.

Darude began producing music in his home studio in the late 1990s. "Sandstorm" was initially self-released in 1999 before being picked up by 16 Inch Records and subsequently released internationally. The track's driving rhythm and melodic structure helped propel it to the top of the charts in several countries.

Following the success of "Sandstorm," Darude released his debut album, Before the Storm, in 2000. The album featured other notable tracks such as "Feel the Beat." He has since released several other studio albums and continued to tour and perform globally.

In addition to his own releases, Darude has also collaborated with other artists and produced remixes for various musicians. He represented Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 along with Sebastian Rejman, performing the song "Look Away."