Virtanen started his career as an amateur musician while in high school, making music using his PC's tracker software. As his interest in music production rapidly grew, he moved on to more serious production techniques.
While at a classmate's party, Virtanen played the song "Rude Boy" (written by Swedish artist Leila K) four times. This earned him the nickname "Rude Boy," which gradually morphed into "Da Rude", which in turn inspired the name "Darude."
Virtanen continued producing music while in technical school, occasionally releasing demos to radio stations beginning in 1997, and offering his music for download on MP3.com. In 1999, he gave a demo for "Sandstorm" to his producer, JS16 (Jaakko Salovaara). Virtanen signed on with JS16's 16 Inch Records label, and shortly thereafter, "Sandstorm" was released as a single.
"Sandstorm" was a smash hit in Finland, topping the Finnish Single Chart, selling platinum and holding the #1 spot on the Finnish Dance Chart for seventeen consecutive weeks. Word quickly spread about the track, which found global success. After becoming the #3 single in the United Kingdom[1] (becoming the first record by a Finnish artist to do so), "Sandstorm" eventually sold 2 million units worldwide, and was the world's biggest selling 12-inch record in 2000.
Shortly thereafter, Darude released his debut album, Before the Storm, selling 800,000 copies worldwide, topping the Finnish album charts, and earning him three Finnish Grammy awards. Before the Storm was produced by JS16, and features two of his remixes.
Darude's second single, "Feel the Beat," closely followed the success of "Sandstorm", reaching #5 on the UK Singles Chart.[1] Subsequent releases, "Out of Control," and "Out of Control (Back for More)" (a remix of the former, featuring vocals by Tammie Marie) failed to match the success of Darude's first two singles.
Darude began a successful world tour in 2001, releasing Before the Storm: Australian Tour Edition in the process. 2002 saw the release of Before the Storm: Special Edition, featuring a collection of remixes of Darude's work. Since the release of Rush, Darude has remained on the road, particularly the United States and Eastern Europe.
In 2003, Darude released his second album, Rush, along with singles "Music" and "Next to You". All three had modest success, with Rush reaching #4 in weekly Finnish album sales and "Next to You" being commonly featured in DJ mixes.
Darude posted his singles "Tell Me" and "My Game" from his new album Label This! on his official MySpace page. "Tell Me" was released in Finland on April 11, 2007 and "My Game" on September 19, 2007.
(2) Finnish DJ/Producer Darude (born Ville Virtanen) started experimenting with music and DJing while still attending school, adopting the nickname of "the Rude" (later Darude) after Swedish rap star Leila K.'s "Rude Boy."
Producer Jaakko Salovaara (aka JS 16), founder of the independent label 16 Inch, teamed up with him to release his first single, called "Sandstorm." British Neo-Record became involved in the newcomer project soon after. In June 2000, Darude achieved the status of chart-topping artist in the U.K. Around the same time, Ville Virtanen successfully performed on the BBC Top of the Pops show, bringing forth the release of his debut album titled Before the Storm. ~ Drago Bonacich, Rovi
Calm Before The Storm
Darude Lyrics
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It's so calm before the storm.
All the stars shine so bright
Like the world has been reborn.
I'm think I'm in a dream tonight.
It's still calm before the storm.
But I dream of rising light
A sign it's time to be reborn.
The sky is so clear tonight;
It's so calm before the storm.
All the stars shine so bright
Like the world has been reborn.
I'm think I'm in a dream tonight.
It's still calm before the storm.
But I dream of rising light
A sign it's time to be reborn.
It's still calm before the storm.
The lyrics of Darude's song Calm Before the Storm convey a sense of anticipation and hopefulness for new beginnings. The calmness and clarity of the night sky seem to be a metaphor for the singer's mindset as he waits for impending change. The presence of stars shining bright signifies the possibility of a fresh start, a sense that the world has been reborn. The singer sees himself in a dream, perhaps indicating a sense of detachment from reality, as he waits for the rising light which will signal the time to be reborn.
The repetition of the phrase "It's still calm before the storm" creates an atmosphere of tension, suggesting that something big and perhaps unsettling is about to happen. However, the singer seems to view this as a positive thing, as he dreams of the rising light which will signify a new beginning.
Overall, the lyrics of Calm Before the Storm suggest a hopeful and positive outlook on change, even in the face of uncertainty and potential chaos.
Line by Line Meaning
It's still calm before the storm.
Despite the clear night sky and bright stars, there is an ominous feeling of impending chaos and turbulence. The calmness is just the briefest moment of respite before the coming storm.
The sky is so clear tonight;
The atmosphere is peaceful and untroubled. The sky is completely free of clouds, and the stars are easy to see against the darkness.
All the stars shine so bright
The stars are luminous and brilliant in the sky, giving the illusion of an entirely new world bursting with life and energy.
Like the world has been reborn.
The scene feels as though nature itself has been transformed, recreated into a pristine and untarnished environment that is just waiting to be touched and appreciated.
But I dream of rising light
Although the current calm feels like the calm before the storm, the artist dreams of hope and the potential for change. Their dream is full of light and positivity, representing a new beginning and growth.
A sign it's time to be reborn.
The rising light is a symbolic motivation for the singer to embrace change and welcome new opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAAKKO SAKARI SALOVAARA, VILLE VIRTANEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind