Behind the Mixing Board: The Story of STEREO
When two masterminds behind one of Finland’s biggest rock bands decide to step into the electronic dance music realm, creative sparks are bound to fly. STEREO (stylized as STEREO) is a Finnish electronic dance music (EDM) project formed by Jere Marttila and Leo Hakanen—best known as the guitarists and songwriters of the powerhouse rock band Haloo Helsinki!
Born out of a desire to experiment during Haloo Helsinki!’s hiatus, STEREO quickly carved out a unique space for itself, bridging the gap between polished pop songwriting and heavy electronic club beats.
The Genesis of the Duo
In 2018, Haloo Helsinki! announced they would be taking a well-earned break from touring and recording. Rather than sitting still, Marttila and Hakanen channeled their restless creative energy into a brand-new collaborative project.
Drawing from their deep roots in crafting massive, stadium-ready melodies, the duo pivoted toward electronic music production. They wanted to create a project defined by freedom, high-energy club anthems, and unexpected artistic partnerships. Thus, STEREO was born—a conceptual duo that treats music as an open canvas.
A Star-Studded Sound Exploration
STEREO’s signature style relies on a brilliant collaborative format. Instead of featuring a single permanent lead vocalist, the duo invites a rotating cast of prominent Finnish artists and singers to lend their voices to each track. This approach gives every single a distinct personality, blending EDM drops with hip-hop, indie pop, and rock sensibilities.
Some of their most notable collaborative tracks include:
- “Vuosien päästä” (featuring Etta)
- “Sä saat mut palasiksi” (featuring Samu Haber)
- “Bonnie & Clyde” (featuring Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth)
- “Woo Woo” (featuring rock icon Michael Monroe)
By fusing Marttila and Hakanen’s sharp ear for pop structures with modern electronic production, tracks like “Katon peiliin” (featuring Sini Yasemin) and “Rauhaa ja rakkautta” (featuring Aste) became fixtures on Finnish radio and streaming playlists.
Why STEREO Matters
STEREO represents a fascinating exercise in artistic reinvention. For Marttila and Hakanen, it proved that great songwriters aren’t bound by a single genre. While they built their reputations on driving guitar riffs and organic rock arrangements, STEREO showcased their versatility as modern electronic producers capable of rocking a festival DJ booth just as easily as an arena stage.
Though initially tied to a specific chapter of downtime for their primary band, STEREO left a memorable imprint on the Nordic music scene—proving that when creative forces collaborate without boundaries, the result is pure electricity.
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