Not only can Darude strike a better Blue Steel pose than Zoolander himself (see above), he also produced one of the most influential electronic music tracks of all time. ‘Sandstorm’ is everywhere, ranging from live sports games to YouTube comments sections. The song has experienced a sudden resurgence from the popular internet joke to identify any unknown song as Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’. While this “weirded out” Darude at first, he is since cool with it and embraces the joke just as YouTube did on April Fool’s Day. Regardless, the immense popularity of ‘Sandstorm’ has largely defined Darude’s reputation. It seems as if he is attempting to take his legacy into his own hands by releasing his first single since 2008. ‘Beautiful Alien’ will be released on April 10th, with a full album coming this summer as well.
‘Beautiful Alien’ begins with poppy, anthemic vocals that are complimented with a pulsating and driving melody. Darude’s fused electro-trance style is evident on the track, which bears subtle similarities to his magnum opus, ‘Sandstorm’. Still, the single maintains its own distinct sound and serves as evidence that Darude is able to stay relevant in the modern electronic music world. Darude seems intent on redefining his reputation as an electronic music producer rather than simply the guy who made ‘Sandstorm’. His recent Reddit AMA seems to be a step in the right direction, as it gave him a platform to discuss his career apart from ‘Sandstorm’. While he addressed the evolution of the song and even the YouTube April Fool’s Day prank, he also found time to discuss issues such as the prevalence of drugs in dance music, his favorite songs and notable shows that he has performed at. Be sure to check out the AMA and enjoy the “Beautiful Alien” video above.