Armand Van Helden (born February 16, 1970) is an American DJ, record producer, remixer and songwriter from Boston, Massachusetts. He is considered one of house music's most revered figures, with a career spanning three decades.[1][2]
Van Helden was born to an Indo (Dutch and Indonesian descent) father and a mother of French and Lebanese ancestry. He moved around the world as a child, spending time in the Netherlands, Latvia, Turkey, and Italy as his father was a member of the U.S. Air Force.[3] At the age of 13, he got his first DJ gig at a Valentine's Day dance and around the same time, he bought a drum machine.[5]
From circa 1986–1988, Van Helden was in a rap group named "Define" because they considered themselves "de finest around" and accordingly "defined" rap music. His name was DJ AVH, along with fellow crew members: Sir Beat, and Lopoka. They performed across Europe and helped hone his DJ skills.[citation needed]
Van Helden returned to Boston in 1988, moonlighting as a DJ in Boston clubs. He attended college in Boston. He quit his legal-review job in 1991 to work as a remixer under the management of Neil Petricone and X-Mix. He took up a DJ residency at the Loft, a top Boston nightclub at the time. He released his first official single, a mix of Deep Creed's "Stay On My Mind" through Nervous Records.[citation needed]
Van Helden released "Move It To the Left" (credited to Sultans of Swing) in 1992 on the Strictly Rhythm label, which became a moderate club hit and led to a string of singles released under several monikers for that label. His first track to make the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart was "Witch Doktor",[3] which made the top 5 in 1994, and led to opportunities to remix acts such as New Order, Deep Forest, Jimmy Somerville, Deee-Lite, and Faithless.[citation needed]
However, it was the "Professional Widow" remix that established Van Helden and became a dance hit around the world and as a number-one hit in the United Kingdom.[3] Van Helden stated of his compensation for the remix: "it was like $10,000, and that was a little below what I was making back then for a remix, but I had the time."[6] However, it led to work remixing the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Puff Daddy, Daft Punk and Sneaker Pimps, adding to his reputation as one of the world's top house-music musicians.[citation needed]
"Cha Cha" was another top-ten dance hit from Van Helden's first album, Old School Junkies: The Album, which was released in 1996, along with "The Funk Phenomena". A greatest hits album appeared the next year, followed by a breakbeat album later in 1997. "You Don't Know Me" was a number two hit on the Billboard dance chart, a number one hit in the United Kingdom,[3] and a top 20 single on the pop charts in Australia and Canada. The song was the breakout track from his 2Future4U album, which was released stateside on Armand's own label, Armed Records.[citation needed]
Van Helden released the Killing Puritans album in 2000 (also on Armed Records), which contained the hit "Koochy". The track was based around Gary Numan's five times UK chart hit, "Cars".[7] His single "Why Can't You Free Some Time" made it to number 34 in the UK in 2001. His New York: A Mix Odyssey album released in March 2004 produced two hits: "Hear My Name", a collaboration with Spalding Rockwell that reached number 7 on the Billboard dance chart, number 34 in the UK, and the top 40 in Australia; and "My My My" featuring Tara McDonald, which reached number 4 on the world internet charts, number 5 in the Belgian and Dutch charts, number 6 in Australia, number 15 in the UK, and top 30 in the world dance charts. In April 2004, he provided a mix for BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix show.[8]
In 2005, Van Helden released the album Nympho, featuring the singles "Into Your Eyes", "My My My", "Hear My Name", and "When the Lights Go Down". The album reached the top 30 in Australia, and number 48 in the UK. "When The Lights Go Down" reached No. 52[9] on the ARIA Charts in Australia, and was a dance and club hit.
In 2006, Van Helden re-released "My My My" featuring the British singer Tara McDonald, which reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 1 in the UK dance charts. Remixes included the Funktuary radio edit and Stonebridge remix. In 2007, Van Helden released his new album, Ghettoblaster, from which he released the singles "NYC Beat," which reached number 22 on the UK chart, and "I Want Your Soul," which reached number 19. In 2008, Van Helden gained more commercial success by remixing "INSPIRE", a No. 1 hit by the Japanese pop star Ayumi Hamasaki. This remix was released on the album Ayu-mi-x 6: Gold. Also in 2008, Van Helden released two albums, You Don't Know Me: The Best of Armand Van Helden and a mix album titled New York: a Mix Odyssey 2. When discussing this mix in a 2009 interview with 5mag.net, Armand said, "I just went back to hip-hop. I put my head where I used to be when I was 19. It was a blast making it. Hip-house was just so great."[10]
In May 2009, Van Helden collaborated with British rapper Dizzee Rascal on his single "Bonkers". It peaked at number one in the United Kingdom, where it stayed for two weeks and became Van Helden's third chart-topper in Britain. Later in 2009, Van Helden worked with A-Trak to create "aNYway" which was released in October under the name Duck Sauce. The duo later gained chart success with the song "Barbra Streisand", which peaked at number three in the United Kingdom and within the top ten of the charts in other European markets.[citation needed]
Van Helden teamed up with American DJ/producer Steve Aoki in 2011 to produce the song "Brrrat!", which featured on Godskitchen's eclectic album. In early 2011, Van Helden stated that he had planned an album for 2014.[citation needed]
Van Helden teamed up with fellow DJ/producer A-Trak in 2011 to form Duck Sauce. The duo scored hits with "Barbra Streisand" and "The Big Bad Wolf". In 2013, Duck Sauce released the song "It's You", a hit on the dancefloor throughout the world, and has been nominated for the MTV Video Awards. In October of the same year, they presented two new songs, "Stereo Radio" with Duck Sauce and "I Know A Place" (featuring Spank Rock). In 2014, Van Helden collaborated with Cheap Thrills label boss and DJ Hervé to release their recent song "Power of Bass" Duck Sauce, released their debut album, Quack, released on April 15 through Fool's Gold Records. The album features the duo's long chain of singles. The new Duck Sauce video for "NRG" is filmed as an infomercial.[citation needed]
In April 2015, London-based Snakehips released Forever Pt. II EP, which spurred a series of well-received remixes, including a Duck Sauce remix of their song "Forever".[citation needed]
Van Helden returned in March 2020 with a new song, "Give Me Your Loving" with Lorne.[12]
Personal life
Van Helden married Brittney Landstrom (aka Brittles) in May 2024.[13]
"Professional Widow" is a song written by the American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released on her third album, Boys for Pele (1996). It is a harpsichord-driven rock song and its lyrics are rumored to have been inspired by the American songwriter Courtney Love. The song was released on July 2, 1996, by Atlantic and EastWest, as the third single from the Boys for Pele album in the US, containing remixes by the house music producers Armand van Helden and MK. The single reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In Italy, the original version peaked at number two in October 1996. An edited version of the Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix of "Professional Widow" was originally released as a double A-side single with "Hey Jupiter" in Europe and Australia.
Ultra Naté is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and promoter who has achieved success on the pop charts with songs such as "Free", "If You Could Read My Mind", and "Automatic".
Sunscreem are a techno/house music band from Essex, England that scored a number of hits on the US Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. Sunscreem also has the rare reputation as a techno-based band that successfully performs concerts. Over a ten-year period, 12 of its singles made an entry to the UK Singles Chart.
Alain Macklovitch, known professionally as A-Trak, is a Canadian DJ, record producer, and record executive. He came to prominence in the late 2000s as an international club DJ and remix artist, known for incorporating highly technical turntable skills and scratching into his genre-spanning work. He is also president of the record label Fool's Gold, which was founded in 2007, and is credited for developing the careers of artists such as Kid Cudi, Danny Brown, and Flosstradamus. Among other collaborative projects, he is part of the DJ duo Duck Sauce with Armand Van Helden and was nominated for a Grammy in 2012 for their song "Barbra Streisand".
"Insomnia" is a song by British musical group Faithless. Released as the band's second single, it became one of their most successful. It was originally released in 1995 and reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart, topping the UK Dance Chart in the process. When re-released in October 1996, the song achieved a new peak of number three in the United Kingdom and topped the charts of Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as the American and Canadian dance charts. It also featured on Faithless's 1996 debut album, Reverence. The music video for "Insomnia" was directed by Lindy Heymann.
Encore Une Fois – The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album released by German dance act Sash! It was released on October 30, 2000, through the Multiply Records label. It includes the singles released from the previous three albums, extra album tracks, and a 17-minute 'megamix' of the singles mixed by Oliver Momm. The CD also includes a bonus disc of remixes of the tracks by various artists. The album reached number 33 on the UK Albums Chart, and number 62 in Germany.
"My My My" is a song by American producer and DJ Armand van Helden. The song contains a sample of the 1984 song "Comin' Apart" by Gary Wright from the 1981 studio album The Right Place. The track was produced in 2004 and included on the album Nympho. When released as a single, it became a top-10 success in Australia, Flemish Belgium, Denmark and Norway, while reaching number 15 on the UK Singles Chart.
"People Hold On" is a song by British band Coldcut and singer-songwriter Lisa Stansfield, released as the first single from the band's debut album, What's That Noise? (1989). It was written by Matt Black, Jonathan More and Stansfield, and produced by Coldcut. The song received positive reviews from music critics and became a commercial success. It was released as a single on 13 March 1989 by label Ahead of Our Time and reached number eleven on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the US Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The song was remixed by Blaze, Juan Atkins, Dimitri from Paris, Mark Saunders, Eric Kupper, Tyrone Perkins and Masters at Work. A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by Big TV!.
"Into Your Eyes" is the third single from American DJ Armand Van Helden's sixth album, Nympho (2005). The song's refrain is lifted from "I Might Lie", a 1987 rock hit by Andy Taylor.
"Bonkers" is a song by English rapper Dizzee Rascal and American producer Armand van Helden. It is the first single released from Rascal's fourth studio album, Tongue n' Cheek. Rascal released the track under his own record label, Dirtee Stank Recordings on 17 May 2009 in the United Kingdom, entering at the top of the UK Singles Chart, marking Dizzee's second number-one single, third top-ten single and eleventh top-forty hit on the chart. This was also Van Helden's third number-one single, his first in ten years. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 59 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
Duck Sauce is an electronic music superduo, formed in 2009 in New York City. The duo consists of American DJ Armand van Helden and Canadian DJ A-Trak. They are best known for their 2010 single "Barbra Streisand".
"ADD SUV" is the second single from Uffie's debut album Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans. The single was produced by Mirwais and features Pharrell Williams performing guest vocals. "ADD SUV" peaked at number 28 on the UK Independent Singles Chart.
"Anyway" is the debut single by American–Canadian DJ duo Duck Sauce. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2009 by digital download. It peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, number 1 on the UK Dance Chart and number 1 on the UK Indie Chart. On October 9, 2009, the 1970s style music video was uploaded on YouTube.
American music producer and DJ Armand van Helden has released seven studio albums, ten compilation albums, two remix albums, eight DJ mix albums, sixteen extended plays (EPs) and sixty singles.
Olivier "Oliver" J. L. Heldens is a Dutch DJ and electronic music producer from Rotterdam. He is regarded as a pioneer of the future house genre, propelling it to international attention and scoring numerous chart successes, including "Gecko (Overdrive)", "Last All Night (Koala)", "The Right Song", "Fire in My Soul", and "Turn Me On". He also produces techno songs under the alias HI-LO, which comes from "Oli H" in reversed form, runs the label Heldeep Records and later runs the label HILOMATIK. Through February 2021, he is the 460th-most-streamed artist on Spotify, with over a billion cumulative streams.
UK garage, abbreviated as UKG, is a genre of electronic dance music which originated in England in the early to mid-1990s. The genre was most clearly inspired by garage house and jungle production methods, but also incorporates elements from dance-pop and R&B. It is defined by percussive, shuffled rhythms with syncopated hi-hats, cymbals, and snares, and may include either 4/4 house kick patterns or more irregular "2-step" rhythms. Garage tracks also commonly feature 'chopped up' and time-stretched or pitch-shifted vocal samples complementing the underlying rhythmic structure at a tempo usually around 130 BPM.
"Holding On" is a song by British electronic music duo Disclosure. It features vocals from Gregory Porter. It was released worldwide on 26 May 2015 as the lead single from the duo's second studio album, Caracal. The track premiered on 26 May 2015 as BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac's Hottest Record in the World. The track was written by Howard Lawrence, Porter and Jimmy Napes. The track peaked at number 13 in the UK iTunes chart but only managed to reach number 46 in the UK Singles Chart.
"Turn the Music Louder (Rumble)" is a song recorded by British DJ KDA. It is a re-working of his instrumental hit "Rumble" and it features vocals from rapper Tinie Tempah and singer Katy B. The song was released as a digital download on 16 October 2015 by Ministry of Sound. The song was written by Tempah and Katy B and produced by KDA. On 23 October 2015, the song debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Tempah's seventh single to do so and KDA and Katy B's first. The song appeared on Katy B's third studio album Honey (2016), in a version without Tinie Tempah's vocals.
"Runaway" is a song by Nuyorican Soul, a project by the American house-garage production and remix team of "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzalez. It features Puerto Rican singer and songwriter India and was released in 1996 by Mercury Records and Talkin' Loud as the first and lead single from their debut album, Nuyorican Soul (1997). The song is a cover of The Salsoul Orchestra's recording "Run Away", featuring American singer Loleatta Holloway from 1977. The new version was very successful in clubs and reached number-one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US. In Europe, it peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart, but was even more successful on the UK Dance Chart, where it hit number-one. Additionally, it was a top-30 hit in Iceland, and a top-40 hit in Germany. On the Eurochart Hot 100, the song reached number 75 in February 1997.
"RipGroove" is the debut single by English speed garage duo Double 99. A huge underground UK club hit in 1997 when first released on an EP under their alias R.I.P. Productions, the song was officially released as a single twice, first in May 1997 where it reached No. 31 on the UK Singles Chart, then again in October in a new mix featuring vocals by MC Top Cat, peaking seventeen places higher at No. 14. The song appeared on their sole album, 7th High, released in 2001.
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