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This month marks the 25th anniversary of the iconic techno track “Sandstorm” from Finnish DJ and producer Darude. The 49-year-old, whose real name is Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen, is best known for his uplifting and progressive trance and EDM tracks.

After starting to make music aged 20, four years later, Darude hit the jackpot with his platinum-selling single, Sandstorm. The track catapulted Darude to worldwide fame. The song’s pulsating beats and upbeat tempo have made it a staple in nightclubs and sports arenas across the globe.

One of the most popular trance songs of the 21st century

In fact, Sandstorm has well and truly cemented its place in the sporting world. It has been used unofficially as the anthem for the Copa America soccer championships. However, its most notable inclusion was with the University of South Carolina’s Gamecocks NCAAF football team.

In a 2009 NCAAF game between the Gamecocks and Ole Miss Rebels, the Gamecocks’ stadium played Sandstorm before a crucial defensive play. The team would go on to shut out the Rebels offense and claim a vital win. Since then, the song has been adopted by the team and its fans as its motivational soundtrack. Even head coach, Shane Beamer, is fully on board with the song.

The Gamecocks are an historic NCAAF football team, dating back to 1892. Despite their 133-year history, they have just one division title and one conference title to their name. However, the leading Canada sportsbook operator Betano prices them as 15th favourites for the 2025/26 NCAAF title in their future market. Their +3900 price is still much greater than favourites Ohio State Buckeyes (+500).

While the people of South Carolina have been raving to Sandstorm since 2009, Finns have been well aware of Sandstorm’s qualities since 1999. Darude’s home nation has taken the song to its heart and celebrated its 25th anniversary in fine style earlier this month.

Helsinki has been celebrating one of its own

Firstly, several of the most notorious radio stations in Finland opted to promote the iconic Eurodance song by playing it non-stop across the airwaves on the morning of 8th May. This gesture moved Darude enough to take to his official Instagram page to thank the radio stations. There was method to the madness though, as the radio stations were also able to announce Darude’s homecoming show in Helsinki on 6th September, which forms part of his current world STORM25 tour.

The people of Helsinki can also embark on a “Sandstorm Run” in August as part of the song’s 25-year anniversary. The organisers have mapped out a six-kilometre running route tied to the song’s original music video. The route contains several of the most prominent landmarks, starting and ending in the coastal park of Kaivopuisto. Any EDM fans wishing to join in the celebrations and enjoy a nostalgic run can pay to enter the run at a cost starting from €39.

Sandstorm featured on Darude’s debut album, Before the Storm, but he’s released a further four studio albums since 2000. His most recent came in 2023 with Together, which was released with very little fanfare. In fact, there’s very little information about this album online.

Prior to this, his 2015 album, Moments, was a big hit. This was Darude attempting to step outside of his EDM comfort zone, with a fusion of styles and genres that drew widespread praise from the music scene. The album was even an option to include in Valve’s popular online first-person shooter game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, so it’s clear that Darude is by no means a one-hit wonder.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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