Armand Van Helden

Armand van Helden is an American DJ, producer, remixer and songwriter whose work has connected New York house music with funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, dancehall and reggae samples for more than three decades. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 16, 1970, he became closely linked with New York’s electronic music scene during the early and mid-1990s. His productions often use filters, dub progressions and a hard-edged, sample-driven approach that has moved between house, garage and club music.

Van Helden was a pioneer of speed garage, and his remixes helped define his early reputation. He remixed Tori Amos’s “Professional Widow,” Sneaker Pimps’ “Spin Spin Sugar,” The Bucketheads’ “The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind)” and C. J. Bolland’s “Sugar Is Sweeter,” among others. In 1998, he received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Remixed Recording. He has also remixed artists including Daft Punk, Janet Jackson, KRS-One, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Sam Smith and Bloc Party.

His own singles include “You Don’t Know Me,” “I Want Your Soul,” “My My My” featuring Tara McDonald, and “Bonkers” featuring Dizzee Rascal. Each reached No. 1 on the UK Dance Chart and No. 2 on Billboard’s Dance chart, reflecting a run of particular success in Europe and the United Kingdom. Later releases include “Wings,” produced in 2016, and “I Need a Painkiller,” produced in 2018.

In 2009, van Helden formed Duck Sauce with Canadian DJ A-Trak. The duo’s “Barbra Streisand” topped charts in 12 countries and earned a nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 54th Grammy Awards. Duck Sauce also released “Anyway,” which reached No. 1 on the UK Dance Chart, as well as “Big Bad Wolf” and “NRG.”