Needle Exchange: A DJ Questionnaire with Darude (Finland)

His go-to records, his craziest gig and the music you should never ask him to play.

IMAGE: Courtesy of Urban Rebel PR.
By Matthew Singer

Years DJing: Originally started doing live shows in 1999, DJing since 2003.

Genre: Progressive and uplifting trance and house, some tech, breaks and techno flavours.

Where you can catch me regularly: Around the world gigging. On my free time, at my local ice rink either playing hockey myself or taking my son to practice.

Craziest gig: The opening party for the celebration year of 100 years of Finnish independence in Helsinki, Finland. Ending 2016 with the build-up of my song "Sandstorm," then starting 2017 right at the drop with fireworks, lasers, lights, screens and 80,000 of my people there with me. Unreal.

My go-to records: Robert Miles, "Children"; Warp Brothers, "Phatt Bass 2016"; Orjan Nilsen, "Iconic"; Orkidea, "Nana (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix)."

Don't ever ask me to play…: I really don't think I have a big ego about what I do in general, but it sometimes irks me greatly when people ask for random tracks outside of my house-trance-electronic dance music realm. While I don't think people should ask a headliner for tracks while they play, I'm not against requests beforehand, like online on Facebook or at a meet-and-greet. When they're certain classics or other tracks that fit a spot in my set, I'm happy to play them.

NEXT GIG: Darude spins at 45 East, 315 SE 3rd Ave., on Saturday, Nov. 11. 10 pm. $10 advance, $15 day of show. 21+. Get tickets here.

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Matthew Singer

Matthew Singer

A native Southern Californian, former Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer ruined Portland by coming here in 2008. He is an advocate for the canonization of the Fishbone and Oingo Boingo discographies, believes pro-wrestling is a serious art form and roots for the Lakers. Fortunately, he left Portland for Tucson, Arizona, in 2021.

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