Finnish DJ Darude talks Anthony Albanese using Sandstorm track in 2022 campaign, love for Kylie Minogue

Finnish DJ Darude — famed for his iconic dance hit Sandstorm — has revealed how he once intervened to stop Prime Minister Anthony Albanese from using the track in campaign videos.

Kicking off his STORM 25 tour in Sydney on Friday, the producer singled out the “Prime Minister, who is also a part-time DJ” when recalling the most bizarre environments in which Sandstorm has surfaced since its meteoric release in 2000.

And to make matters worse, Darude also revealed how, after using his song in his videos, Mr Albanese then snubbed an invite to his show.

“A couple of years ago when I was coming to Australia, it just so happened that their party decided to make a promo video where he was DJing, and they used Sandstorm in that video without asking our permission,” Darude told PerthNow.

“And I actually had to pull it down because that was a political affiliation to my music which I don’t want to do because, I’m not into politics in Australia especially, and I don’t want to take sides like that.”

The Prime Minister officially set the date for the 2025 Federal Election as May 3, and it remains to be seen if he’ll jump back on the decks in a bid to retain the top job.

However, with the 49-year-old producer in Australia yet again during an election campaign, the PM will have another opportunity to experience Darude live in Australia’s capital with a show scheduled for April 4. Though he might have to fork out for it this time.

“I invited him to my Canberra show, but he didn’t show up,” the producer said of their 2022 run-in.

The enduring DJ has been a global trance and dance music tour staple since the turn of the century, with Sandstorm ticking over 500 million listens on Spotify.

Celebrating 25 years of cult track, Darude’s world tour is an opportunity to play evolved versions of classic tunes from historic albums Before the Storm, Rush, and to showcase new music from his 2023 project Together.

The producer will perform in Brisbane on April 5 and fly to Perth for Electric Island at Cottesloe Beach on April 6.

With so much time in the air over the years, an in-flight magazine he scanned through en-route to Australia a few years ago unearthed a surprise celebrity fan in one of our national treasures.

“I’m reading an interview with Kylie Minogue, and she was asked about Finland. And she mentioned maybe Mika Häkkinen or Kimi Räikkönen, one of our two famous Formula One drivers. And then me, who she knew from Finland,” he said.

“I haven’t actually met her face-to-face though, I really wanted to say hi to her one time at BBC Studios in the UK because I happened to be at the cafeteria at the same time. But then my nerves kicked in, and I didn’t want to bother her.”

Despite his music being meme’d and re-worked online within an inch of its 25-year-old life, the producer is grateful for his success and continued relevance.

But he doesn’t enjoy all the perks of touring like he used to.

The circuit veteran believes you can have a good night and a good night’s sleep, leaving everything on stage before opting for “a couple of energy bars, maybe a soda”, and a few more hours in bed nowadays.

“I’ve done my partying, and plenty of it,” he joked.

With a beauty sleep keeping him young, it’s his renewed hobby of skateboarding that’s keeping him young at heart.

Expect to see the star kick-flipping around Perth when he gets here, and a possible a return to Leederville Skate Park which he visited in March last year.

“I skated when I was a kid, and obviously music here and touring, playing here is number one, but very close second now as well is skating,” he said.

“If I have a chance, I’ll go and find local skate parks.”