Darude

. DNA on DNA 2004 - No More Records, NoCD12. Today, Darude is considered a strong trance/electronic artist by many, and Sandstorm can still be heard at dance clubs worldwide. American Clavé Sampler: various artists (one DNA track) 1993 - American Clave (USA), AMCL 1020/1026 (2xCD). This album was less of a success than his previous works, but is still considered relatively good. Last Live at CBGB 1993 - Avant (Japan), Avant 006 (CD). In 2002 he released his second album Rush. The Fruit of Original Sin: various artists (Three DNA tracks) 1981 - Les Disques Du Crepuscule, twi 035 (2xLP).

Darude toured the world for nine months in 2001. A Taste of DNA 1981 - American Clavé, AMCL 1003EP (12"). The second single Feel the Beat followed in Sandstorm's success, becoming a #1 hit in Finland before becoming a worldwide smash. No New York: various artists (Four DNA tracks) 1978 - Antilles, AN 7067 (LP). The song was the worldwide number one selling vinyl record in the year 2000, a record of sorts for a trance number. "You & You" b/w "Little Ants" 1978 - Lust/Unlust Music, 11-CAN-234. In June 2000 Darude became the first Finnish artist ever to reach top 3 position on UK's single chart. They have since taken the name The DNA Disciples to avoid confusion with the no wave band described above, and also produced a second Suzanne Vega remix, "Rusted Pipe".

The song first conquered the Finnish and other European charts before creeping onto the UK charts (via the Internet at first, getting airplay in discos and clubs before it was officially released to a waiting audience), and finally taking the world by storm. DNA was also the pseudonym taken by two British dance producers for a remix of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner". His first hit single Sandstorm, was a result of a collaboration with Finnish producer and artist JS16 or Jaakko Salovaara, the man behind successful artists like Bomfunk MC's and Dallas Superstars. Darude landed a deal with JS16's 16 Inch Records, and co produced the song with him. The contemporary indie rock band Blonde Redhead takes its name from a DNA song. Hoping his tracks would be big hits someday, Darude started making his music on a PC first, and then moved on to samplers and decks. Lindsay and Mori and to a lesser extent Crutchfield have remained active in music. The name evolved to the Rude, da Rude, and finally Darude. DNA on DNA, a comprehensive CD chronicle of the band, was released by No More Records in 2004.

His friends started calling him Rude Boy after the track. DNA's final encore was a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Sadly, this is not included on the CD Last Live at CBGB, released more than a decade later on John Zorn's Avant label. At a party with some friends, he played Swedish artist Leila K's track Rudeboys several times in a row. It's a measure of the cult following the band had developed that its final concerts were three consecutive sold-out nights at CBGB. His artist name Darude comes from the start of his career. Lindsay, Mori, and Wright decided to dissolve the band in 1982. Darude (Ville Virtanen) is a Finnish DJ. Some live DNA tracks appeared on compilation albums while the band was still in existence.

Official JS16 site (http://www.js16.com/). DNA recorded but one (brief, approximately 10 minutes) album - A Taste of DNA - for Kip Hanrahan's American Clavé label (later on Rough Trade) in 1980. 16 Inch Records (http://www.16inchrecords.com/). Live shows were frequent in this period, but rarely outside of the CBGB - Mudd Club - TR3 circuit in lower Manhattan. Blue Chip Records (http://www.bluechiprecords.com/). The Lindsay-Mori-Wright lineup of DNA developed something of a cult following between 1979 and 1982, but more with art than with rock audiences. Official Darude site (http://www.darude.com/). Song structures became tighter, briefer, more abstract, and have been compared to haiku.

The music became even more spare and angular, with Wright's bass lines creating a sometimes menacing sound. As Wright played bass and not keyboards, and was the only member of the band really to have any conventional instrumental technique, the change in DNA's sound was dramatic. He was replaced by Tim Wright, previously of the Cleveland band Pere Ubu. Shortly after the recording of No New York, Crutchfield left DNA to form a new band, Dark Day.

The other three bands appearing on this album were The Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and Mars. Within their first year, they had cemented their reputation as a paradigmatic no wave band when Brian Eno selected them as one of the four groups documented on the No New York LP, the first recording to expose no wave groups to an audience outside of lower Manhattan. This lineup of DNA played occasionally at CBGB and Max's Kansas City and recorded one 7" single. After the rapid departure of Stevenson and Cervenka, Lindsay and Crutchfield hastily recruited Ikue Mori - a Japanese woman with little command of English and no drum set - to be DNA's drummer.

This incarnation of the band was very brief, not playing even one concert. Stevenson went on to play bass for Teenage Jesus and the Jerks; Cervenka was the younger sister of Exene Cervenka of X. DNA originally consisted of Lindsay, Crutchfield, Gordon Stevenson, and Mirielle Cervenka, and took its name from a song by another no wave band, Mars. Their music was described as spare, noisy, and angular and was compared to some of Captain Beefheart's output and even to Anton Webern.

Rather than playing their instruments in a traditional manner, they instead focused on making unique and unusual sounds. Formed in 1978 by guitarist Arto Lindsay and keyboardist Robin Crutchfield, DNA were inspired by a promoter who wanted a band composed of first-time musicians. DNA was a short-lived but influential New York rock band, associated with the no wave movement.