The powerhouse DJ is celebrating 25 years as an artist
Iconic Finnish DJ Darude brought his 25th anniversary tour to DC on Friday night (Nov 21st). Soundcheck DC played host to the “Sandstorm” hitmaker’s stop in the capital. The venue, located in the basement of a building on the fabled lobbyist row called K Street, is closing early next year. A fact Darude—birth name Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen—alluded to at the start of his set.
Darude arrived at his deck with an iPod flashing “HELLO” in all caps, to the cheers of everyone in the club. What followed was a night of fun and masterful vibes, the dance music dynasty himself.
The sensory experience was finely tuned. During “Supersized,” the screen behind Darude flashed Windows 97 pop-ups and the Blue Screen of Death. “Chasing the Light,” featuring vocals recorded by Leah Lou, had that classic Darudian brightness to it, with a piano riff breaking through the more computerised elements.
Pumping his arms and getting the crowd to, “Supersized” had that techno-warble that is a signature of his music. The crowd ate up the feeling that beat beneath them. And feel it we did. The vibration was so strong, it often gave people’s conversations the vocal quality of speaking into a fan grate. It was awesome.
Darude expertly crafted his set as a relentless wave of music. One song bled into the next, overlayed on another, and created something new in the moment. Speaking of creating something in the moment, he interloped the crowd, shouting “We love Soundcheck” into a piece. The result was very trippy and fun.
Of course, “Sandstorm” came at the end. It felt as if the room had become one, vibing to one of the most important pieces of dance music. That song—and Darude—ushered EDM into mainstream consciousness, a genre that has only grown in popularity and creativity in the 25 years since.
