Darude is returning to Aotearoa for Synthony at the Domain on March 29, 2025. Photo / Supplied
Twenty-five years after its release, Darude’s name is still synonymous with Sandstorm — the trance phenomenon that continues to reverberate in internet meme lore. But the Finnish DJ has not grown weary of Sandstorm’s success: rather, he embraces it.
It’s a tale as old as time: an artist hits the jackpot with a commercially successful single that nets them fame, fortune and fans. The artist becomes frustrated with said success (and being defined by a work they believe plays second-fiddle to their newer output). Nirvana and Smells Like Teen Spirit. Radiohead and Creep. Oasis and Wonderwall.
But Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen, the electronic dance music (EDM) virtuoso who helped usher the genre into the mainstream, chooses to view his career-defining hit as a gateway to his newer, maybe even better material. The 49-year-old, his signature strip of facial hair still razor sharp, mulls over the enduring legacy of the turn-of-the-century track as we chat on Zoom one December morning, a Finnish flag in pride of place behind him.
“My conclusion is that if in 2024 or 2025, somebody comes to my show or an event I’m playing because of Sandstorm, that’s a ticket sold — but more so it’s a chance for me to show what I do today.
“What I do today is not entirely different from the beginning of my career or five years ago, in terms of the energy and the vibe that I put into my work or how I play. I think if you like Sandstorm as a piece of music and you see me DJ or perform, you probably will like other stuff I make as well,” he says.
Now, a quarter of a century after his name was catapulted into the public consciousness by a three-minute-something staccato synth, Darude is celebrating his career next March with a performance at Synthony in the Domain: the epicentre of New Zealand’s EDM festival scene.
The annual festival is held on the sprawling grounds of Auckland Domain, the purlieus of Auckland Museum and the cone of the extinct volcano Pukekawa. Synthony is more than just electronic music: it’s a fusion of DJs and live orchestra, local and international artists, and immersive visuals. Next year will mark the premiere of Synthony No.6, the reimagining of staple dance tracks by the likes of Swedish House Mafia and the late Avicii by Auckland Philharmonia symphony orchestra.
Joining Darude on the line-up are English electronic duo Basement Jaxx, Australian DJ Cyril, hip-house heavyweight Example and homegrown heroes Kora, Ladi6, and iconic rockers, Th’ Dudes.
“I know the setting is gonna be pretty much the best there is ... You’re gonna see dance music classics. I am so lucky and happy to be one of the tracks they’re interpreting with a full orchestra,” Darude says with a smile.
“That’s huge validation, because — especially in the late ’90s, early 2000s — there was still a lot of, ‘You’re just pushing buttons and your computer makes the music for you’, or, ‘Are you even a musician?’ ... Now when I see a full orchestra do it, I wanna throw that [at] those people’s faces.”
Born in Eura, Finland in July 1975, Virtanen, better known by his stage name Darude (a play on “Rude Boy”), grew up listening to a wide variety of music. Pop, ‘80s hair metal and punk formed the basis of his musical education, he says. He even “listened to Metallica”. But, he admits, EDM was ultimately a sound choice.
“I am making dance music because electricity exists, and that’s the only way I can make music — because I’m not a great live player.”
It didn’t matter: Darude went on to release five studio albums, the most recent being 2023’s Together, and was the recipient of two Finnish Grammy Awards following the success of his debut project, Before the Storm. At the time of writing, Sandstorm has sold more than 10 million units and netted over 750 million streams, making it one of the most significant trance records ever made. In 2019, he was the Finnish representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.
And he is no stranger to our shores: Darude draws comparisons between Aotearoa and his native Finland, and jokes he and his wife would consider New Zealand their first port of call in a, well, sandstorm. It’s a country he speaks of warmly, and appears to feel a natural kinship towards: in 2020, Auckland Symphony Orchestra even went viral for their cover of Sandstorm.
“My wife and I, we always crack jokes that if we were to flee Finland for whatever reason, and wanted to hide from the world, we’d probably end up in New Zealand,” he reveals.
“Once you get to know [New Zealanders], you’ve got this very genuine relationship from the get-go. Finns are maybe a little hard to warm up to you: but when they do they are very loyal, nice and warm. I think there’s definitely a similarity.”
His New Zealand expeditions have seen him play a series of “very small towns”, the “corner of a bar”, and even a “bungee-jumping place”: however, his first time performing for a Kiwi crowd was at Auckland’s celebrated St James Theatre, a baroque jewel of the central city now under renovation. The venue played host to the likes of John Mayer, The Strokes and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and in 1996, the late Jeff Buckley.
The 2000-seat heritage site is a far cry from the expected 25,000-plus attendees at Synthony, but Darude is a past master at the festival circuit: his CV boasts the likes of Ministry of Sound, Dreamstate SoCal, Radio 1’s One Big Weekend and Tomorrowland.
“Twenty-twenty-five is gonna be the first time in 15 years when my team and I have allowed promoters to blatantly promote with Sandstorm; I’ve always had a new album out, a new single out, and we haven’t wanted, contractually, to let promoters lead with ‘Sandstorm, Sandstorm, Sandstorm’,” he explains.
“It overshadows automatically a lot of what I do, especially if I don’t push those other things.”
As for what to expect from his set, Darude hints it will be a celebration of his 25-year discography — a reflection on the past while looking to the future. While he can’t say too much, he reveals there will be new remixes of old favourites for fans to enjoy: and if you’re a trance tyro or EDM neophyte, Synthony in the Domain could be the perfect introduction.
“I told somebody recently that I kind of don’t care if you don’t like my music, I’m not offended by it,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Dance music is very situational ... the base is pounding on your body, you feel it, it might get rowdy. People are laughing, crying, jumping up and down. It’s very physical. When you listen to the same song in a car or through earbuds, you might not get that feeling. It’s something I think can easily get you hooked.
“What I want to do — because it’s a 25-year celebration — is look back on my stuff. I’m making some new versions of my tracks, potentially have some remixes made by others, and I’m gonna make those live. There’s gonna be elements that I perform live, effect live, tweak live, maybe play a little key here and there,” he shares.
“I might have a little visual, you know, ‘look back’ to Sandstorm, somehow ... I can’t wait. Knock on wood, everything going well, it’s going to be amazing.”
Synthony in the Domain takes place at Auckland Domain on March 29, 2025.
Lana Andelane is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist. She was previously lifestyle editor at Newshub, where she began her career as a news producer in 2019. She enjoys writing about music, pop culture, fashion and beauty.
New York Times: Set in a small newspaper, at least one original castmember will return.