STEREO: The Electronic Side-Project Shaking Up Finnish Pop
When one of Finland’s biggest rock bands, Haloo Helsinki!, announced a well-deserved hiatus in late 2017, fans wondered what the group’s creative masterminds would do next. For guitarist Jere Marttila and songwriter-guitarist Leo Hakanen, the pause became an opportunity to dive headfirst into an entirely different sonic world.
The result was STEREO (stylized as STEREO), an electronic dance music (EDM) and pop duo that took the Finnish music scene by storm during 2018 and 2019.
From Stadium Rock to Electronic Soundscapes
While Haloo Helsinki! dominated radio waves and arena stages with high-energy alternative rock, Marttila and Hakanen wanted to explore a different kind of canvas. STEREO allowed them to channel their production skills into modern electronic beats, atmospheric synthesizers, and club-ready pop structures.
Operating primarily during the Haloo Helsinki! break, the duo adopted a collaborative approach that set them apart from traditional side projects. Rather than relying on a single permanent lead vocalist, STEREO functioned as a collaborative hub, inviting some of Finland’s most recognizable artists to co-create and front their tracks.
00740: A Star-Studded Debut Album
In 2019, STEREO released their debut studio album, 00740—named after the postal code for Lauttasaari, the scenic island district in Helsinki where the duo’s studio was based. The album was preceded and supported by a relentless wave of high-profile single releases that dominated streaming charts and radio airwaves.
The project’s collaborative spirit shone through its tracklist, which featured guest appearances from a diverse roster of Finnish stars:
- “Vuosien päästä” featuring Etta
- “Sä saat mut palasiksi” featuring Samu Haber
- “Woo Woo” featuring rock icon Michael Monroe
- “Katon peiliin” featuring Sini Yasemin
- “Bonnie & Clyde” featuring Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth
- “Rauhaa ja rakkautta” featuring Aste
This eclectic mix of rap, pop, and rock royalty blended seamlessly with STEREO’s polished, synth-driven production. The album earned them widespread critical acclaim and an Emma Award nomination (Finland’s equivalent of the Grammys) for Pop Album of the Year.
The Legacy of STEREO
Though conceived as a distinct project for a specific chapter in Marttila and Hakanen’s careers, STEREO proved that great musicianship transcends genre boundaries. By combining the sharp melodic instincts honed in stadium rock with sleek electronic production and a communal spirit, STEREO carved out a unique space in contemporary Finnish pop culture.
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