Sandstorm (instrumental)

"Sandstorm" is an instrumental by Finnish DJ and record producer Darude. It was released as the lead single from his debut studio album, Before the Storm. It was initially released in Finland on 26 October 1999 by 16 Inch Records and was later re-released in many other countries in 2000. The track was uploaded to MP3.com where it gained global recognition. It has also gained recognition for its usage in sports and popularity in internet meme culture.

"Sandstorm"
Single by Darude
from the album Before the Storm
Released26 October 1999 (1999-10-26)
RecordedLate 1999
StudioJS16 (Finland)
GenreEurodance,[1] trance[2][3]
Length
  • 7:26 (original mix)
  • 3:45 (radio edit)
Label
  • 16 Inch (Finland)
  • Neo (UK)
  • Groovilicious (US)
Songwriter(s)Ville Virtanen
Producer(s)
Darude singles chronology
"Sandstorm"
(1999)		 "Feel the Beat"
(2000)
Audio sample
"Sandstorm"
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Sandstorm" (music video) on YouTube

On 1 March 2010, over ten years after its original release, "Sandstorm" was certified Gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over 500,000 copies. In January 2020, it was certified Platinum for sales over one million.[4] On the centenary of Finland's independence in 2017, celebrations in Helsinki included Darude as one of the main performers with his "Sandstorm".[5]

Background
The Roland JP-8080 synthesizer used in "Sandstorm" (pictured); displaying "sand storm" on its screen, from which the title is derived.[6]

Darude first started making happy hardcore with a music tracker program on his computer, playing gigs as "Rudeboy".[7] He then performed with Wille "Weirdness" Heikkilä as "Position 1", making light Eurodance tunes, and he paired with other DJs on other projects. In September and October 1999,[7] as Darude, he began collaborating with Jaakko "JS16" Salovaara, known as the producer of the Bomfunk MC's.[2] "Sandstorm" was the first product of the collaboration, ready after about a week of work. JS16 signed Darude as the first artist on JS16's new label 16 Inch Records.[7]

Darude had been uploading various pieces of his trance experimentation on the website MP3.com, where he was building a following, and he also uploaded the full-length demo of "Sandstorm". This exposure was responsible for worldwide interest in "Sandstorm".[8] In 2000, Darude reported on his mp3.com artist's page that he had "removed the full-length tracks" of "Sandstorm" at the request of his record company.[9]

The title of the instrumental originates from the Roland JP-8080 synthesizer used in the song, which displays the text "sand storm" on startup.[6]

In a 2016 Reddit AMA interview, Darude admitted that he had never experienced an actual sandstorm but had experienced a dust devil.[10]

Composition

"Sandstorm" is an instrumental trance composition.[2][11] According to Darude, the hardware and software used to make the track are as follows: P2, Cubase VST 32, FastTracker 2, ReBirth, Korg TR-Rack. Then with JS16 in his studio: Cubase on Atari 1040ST, Ensoniq ASR-10 sampler, Roland JP8080, NordLead2, Roland JV2080, Ensoniq DP4, Mackie 24/8, Behringer rack compressor.[12][13]

Music video

The video for "Sandstorm" features Darude with headphones viewing two armed security guards (a man and a woman) chasing a woman with a case. Darude seems to appear at every place where the pursuers and the pursued go. Near the end, the woman with the case stumbles and one of her pursuers (the other woman) betrays her partner, knocking him out. The two women take the case onto a boat with Darude. As of January 2023, the music video uploaded on YouTube via an official channel has garnered over 243 million views, while one unofficial upload has 53 million views.[14][15]

The video was directed by Juuso Syrjä, a.k.a. Uzi,[16] and was shot in various places in Helsinki, including the Helsinki Cathedral and the Senate Square.[17] It became the first Finnish music video shown on MTV in the US and it received several awards in Finland and on MTV.[16]

Track listings
Finnish CD single[18]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (radio edit)3:45
2."Sandstorm" (original mix)7:21
UK CD and 12-inch single[19][20]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (radio edit)3:45
2."Sandstorm" (original mix)7:21
3."Sandstorm" (JS16 Remix)7:24
UK cassette single[21]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (radio edit)3:45
US CD single[22]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (radio edit)3:46
2."Sandstorm" (original mix)7:24
3."Sandstorm" (JS16 Remix)7:19
4."Sandstorm" (Ariel Remix)6:43
US 12-inch single[23]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (original mix)7:24
2."Sandstorm" (JS16 Remix)7:19
3."Sandstorm" (Ariel Remix)6:43
4."Sandstorm" (Terpsichord Remix)7:01
Australian CD single[24]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (radio edit)2:55
2."Sandstorm" (original mix)7:24
3."Sandstorm" (JS16 Remix)7:21
Sandstorm (The Remixes) – EP[25]
No.TitleLength
1."Sandstorm" (radio edit)3:49
2."Sandstorm" (extended)7:26
3."Sandstorm" (Dallas Superstars Remix)8:24
4."Sandstorm" (Komytea radio remix)3:54
5."Sandstorm" (Komytea Remix)7:40
6."Sandstorm" (DJ Ray Aka Tom Hafman Remix)7:13
7."Sandstorm" (Superchumbo's Sandy Storm)8:38
8."Sandstorm" (Jan Driver Remix)6:16

Chart performance

Soon after release, "Sandstorm" became popular on pop radio stations, reaching number one in Norway.[26] Its sales worldwide eventually reached 2 million, and it was featured on 200 compilations.[8]

Certifications
Certifications and sales for "Sandstorm"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[65] Platinum 90,000‡
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[66] Platinum 13,025[66]
Germany (BVMI)[67] Gold 250,000^
Sweden (GLF)[68] Gold 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[69] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[4] Platinum 1,000,000‡

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Sandstorm"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Finland 26 October 1999 CD 16 Inch [70]
United Kingdom 5 June 2000
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Neo [71]
Spain 23 June 2000 12-inch vinyl Insolent [72]
United States 2000
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 Groovilicious [73]

Usage in media

In film and television

"Sandstorm" appeared on the pilot episode of popular Showtime series Queer as Folk, which first aired on 3 December 2000.[74] "Sandstorm" was also used in the 2001 Finnish film Tango Cabaret (Tango Kabaree).[75] In the third part of the Johnny English film series, Johnny English Strikes Again, the title character played by Rowan Atkinson dances to the beat of "Sandstorm" in a dance club scene.[76] "Sandstorm" was used in Season 3, Episode 10, of The Orville on Hulu in the Bachelorette Party scene with the dancing robot before Dr. Claire Finn's marriage to Isaac the Kaylon.

In sports

In the late 2000s, a marketing executive for the University of South Carolina added "Sandstorm" to the playlist of music at Williams-Brice Stadium during a Gamecocks football game. In a 2021 ESPN story, the executive recalled that he had tried using the track when he was employed at Vanderbilt University, but the Vanderbilt fanbase did not react strongly to it. After moving to South Carolina, he played the track at one football game, and received a fan reaction good enough that he decided to save it for a key moment in a later game. That moment would come in the last two minutes of a 2009 game against Ole Miss, when "Sandstorm" was played before back-to-back Gamecocks defensive plays that sealed an upset win over Ole Miss. Since that game, it has become a rallying anthem for South Carolina fans.[77][78] The track is not only used at football games, but at many other South Carolina sports events, and has become so iconic among Gamecocks fans that some have even used it at their weddings.[79]

Professional wrestlers Toru Owashi[80] and Session Moth Martina as well as mixed martial artist Wanderlei Silva, and baseball pitcher Koji Uehara use "Sandstorm" as entrance music. It was also played at the 2006 Winter Olympics, and during the Ice Hockey World Championships. Nike used the composition in an advertisement series featuring the basketball opponents Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.[8] Kansas State University briefly used "Sandstorm" at men's basketball games, but banned it after the school's student section punctuated the track with chants of "F--- KU!" during games against archrival Kansas; the school has more recently tried reintroducing it.[79]

Premier League football club Nottingham Forest plays the song before the start of second half during home games at the City Ground.[81]

In video games

On May 5, 2022, "Sandstorm" was included in the popular VR game Beat Saber, through their "Electronic Mixtape" DLC. Because of this, Darude became the first "Eurovision Song Contest" participant to feature one of their songs in the game.

Internet phenomenon

The popularity of "Sandstorm" as background music for those who stream their video gaming on the Twitch platform led to a meme that any question asking for the name of any song was replied to with the comment "Darude – Sandstorm."[82]

As an April Fools' Day joke on 1 April 2015, YouTube displayed the message "Did you mean: Darude – Sandstorm by Darude" for all video search queries that involve music, in addition to adding a button which played the song during a video.[83][84]

See also

References
  1. "Darude 'Sandstorm' to act as alarm for actual sandstorm detector". DJ Mag. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2023. Darude's 1999 Eurodance track turned inescapable meme 'Sandstorm' is set to become to alarm sound of an actual sandstorm detector.
  2. "Darude – Discography". Findance. Archived from the original on 6 March 2001.
  3. Sirén, Vesa (8 February 2003). "Finland's biggest foreign hits are composed by..." Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  4. "American single certifications – Darude – Sandstorm". Recording Industry Association of America.
  5. "Watch a Helsinki Crowd Ring in the New Year with Darude's "Sandstorm"". Noisey. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  6. Darude (26 December 2017). The Story of 'Sandstorm' by Darude. Vice. YouTube. Event occurs at 14:33. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  7. Niemelä, Antti. "Darude interview". Findance. Archived from the original on 10 January 2001.
  8. Burcher 2012, pp. 146–7.
  9. "Darude". MP3.com. Archived from the original on 11 May 2000.
  10. Hooton, Christopher (27 July 2016). "Darude admits he's never actually been in a sandstorm". The Independent. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  11. Sirén, Vesa (8 February 2003). "Finland's biggest foreign hits are composed by..." Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  12. "I am Darude. AMA! (self.Music)". Reddit. 8 April 2015.
  13. Darude (26 December 2017). The Story of 'Sandstorm' by Darude. Vice. YouTube. Event occurs at 2:32. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  14. Darude - Sandstorm, retrieved 24 January 2023
  15. Sandstorm, retrieved 24 January 2023
  16. "Ohjaaja muistelee – näin syntyi maailmaa säväyttäneen Daruden Sandstormin musiikkivideo!" (in Finnish). Nelonen. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  17. "Myrskyisä pako läpi Helsingin katujen" (PDF). Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). 16 November 2000. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2015.
  18. Sandstorm (Finnish CD single liner notes). Darude. 16 Inch Records. 1999. FISGC9900001.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. Sandstorm (UK CD single liner notes). Darude. Neo Records. 2000. NEOCD033.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. Sandstorm (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Darude. Neo Records. 2000. NEO12033.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. Sandstorm (UK cassette single sleeve). Darude. Neo Records. 2000. NEOMC033.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. Sandstorm (US CD single liner notes). Darude. Groovilicious. 2000. GM227CD.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. Sandstorm (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Darude. Groovilicious. 2000. GM 227.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. Sandstorm (Australian CD single liner notes). Darude. Bang On!. 2000. BANG0039.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. "Sandstorm (The Remixes) – EP". iTunes. 7 November 2000. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  26. "Darude – Sandstorm". VG-lista. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  27. "Darude – Sandstorm". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  28. "Darude – Sandstorm" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  29. "Darude – Sandstorm" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  30. "Darude – Sandstorm" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  31. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 8. 24 February 2001. p. 60. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  32. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 26. 24 June 2000. p. 13. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  33. "Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 28. 8 July 2000. p. 47. ISSN 0006-2510.
  34. "Darude: Sandstorm" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  35. "Darude – Sandstorm" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  36. "Darude – Sandstorm" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  37. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 47. 18 November 2000. p. 11. See LW column. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  38. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Sandstorm". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  39. "Top 10 Dance Singles, Week Ending 15 June 2000". GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  40. "Darude – Sandstorm". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  41. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  42. "Darude – Sandstorm" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  43. "Darude – Sandstorm / Feel The Beat". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  44. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  45. "Darude – Sandstorm" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  46. "Darude – Sandstorm". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  47. "Darude – Sandstorm". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  48. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  49. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  50. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  51. "Darude – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  52. "Jaaroverzichten 2000" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  53. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2000" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 17, no. 52. 23 December 2000. p. 9. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  54. "Classement Singles – année 2000" (in French). Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  55. "Jahrescharts – 2000". Offiziellecharts.de (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  56. "Top 100 of 2000". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Archived from the original on 2 June 2004. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  57. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2000" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  58. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2000" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  59. Romanian peak
  60. "Årslista Singlar – År 2000" (in Swedish). Hitlistan. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  61. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 2000". Hitparade.ch (in German). Retrieved 22 November 2017.
  62. "Yearly Best Selling Singles" (PDF). British Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  63. "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001". Jam!. Archived from the original on 26 January 2003. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  64. "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002 (Part 2)". Jam!. 14 January 2003. Archived from the original on 6 September 2004.
  65. "Danish single certifications – Darude – Sandstorm". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  66. "Darude" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  67. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Darude; 'Sandstorm')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  68. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2000" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011.
  69. "British single certifications – Darude – Sandstorm". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  70. McCarthy, Zel (30 October 2019). "Batten Down the Hatches: Darude's 'Sandstorm' Just Turned 20". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  71. "New Releases – For Week Starting June 5, 2000: Singles". Music Week. 3 June 2000. p. 23.
  72. "Catalogo" [Catalogue] (in Spanish). Blanco y Negro Music. Archived from the original on 11 April 2002. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  73. "Darude's 'Sandstorm' Is Officially 20 Years Old". Sleeping Giant Music. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  74. "Season 1". Princessofbabylon.com. Archived from the original on 25 June 2003.
  75. "Tango Kabaree (2001)" (in Finnish). Elonet. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  76. Walsh, Katie (24 October 2018). "'Johnny English Strikes Again' review: Rowan Atkinson's bumbling Bond character should have retired". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  77. Kendall, Josh (2013). 100 Things South Carolina Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-60078-850-5.
  78. Kearns, Taylor (30 November 2010). "USC students, fans make "Sandstorm" their unofficial anthem". WIS. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
  79. Wilson, Dave (28 August 2021). "How a Finnish DJ created a 'Sandstorm' in the SEC and across the sports world". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  80. "Profile" (in Japanese). DDT Pro-Wrestling. Archived from the original on 11 February 2007.
  81. Miller, Nick (26 February 2023). "The Premier League runout songs – from Star Wars to the Stone Roses". The Athletic. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  82. Higgins, Chris (2 April 2015). "Darude on making the only song in eSports". Red Bull. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  83. Baroni, Nastassia (2 April 2015). "YouTube Are Pulling an Amazing April Fools Gag with Help from Darude". Music Feeds. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  84. Hooton, Christopher (1 April 2015). "YouTube adds a 'Darude Sandstorm' button to all videos". The Independent. Retrieved 24 October 2015.

Bibliography
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.