STEREO: The Electronic Side-Project That Redefined Modern Finnish Pop

When one of Finland’s biggest rock and pop monoliths, Haloo Helsinki!, announced a well-deserved hiatus after years of relentless touring and chart-topping records, fans wondered what the members would do during the quiet spell. For guitarists and master songwriters Leo Hakanen and Jere Marttila, “quiet” wasn’t really an option.

Instead of resting, they plugged into a completely different voltage, giving birth to STEREO (stylized as STEREO)—an electronic dance music (EDM) and pop powerhouse that dominated the Finnish airwaves in 2019.

From Stadium Rock Riffs to Electronic Beats

For years, Hakanen and Marttila were known for crafting massive, guitar-driven radio anthems for Haloo Helsinki! With STEREO, they stepped away from the traditional band setup and dived headfirst into the world of electronic production, synthesizers, club beats, and heavy pop hooks.

Rather than treating the project as a casual bedroom hobby, the duo approached STEREO with high conceptual ambition. They aimed to bring a fresh, club-ready, yet deeply melodic edge to the Finnish music scene—combining electronic dance music structures with the kind of sharp, narrative-driven lyricism they had mastered over their careers.

The Star-Studded 2019 Run and 00740

STEREO’s primary wave of activity took place dynamically throughout 2019. Rather than dropping a standard record and touring it traditionally, they rolled out a massive collaborative project featuring some of the most recognizable voices in Finnish modern music.

Their debut studio album, 00740, released in 2019, acted less like a conventional band record and more like a curated electronic pop event. Every single track featured high-profile guest vocalists and artists, turning STEREO into a creative hub for cross-genre experimentation.

Key Collaborations and Hits

• “Vuosien päästä” (feat. Etta): One of the duo’s biggest streaming successes, blending infectious electronic rhythms with Etta’s sharp vocal delivery.
• “Sä saat mut palasiksi” (feat. Samu Haber): A massive crossover track uniting the former Sunrise Avenue frontman’s arena-ready voice with cutting-edge electronic production.
• “Woo Woo” (feat. Michael Monroe): A brilliantly unexpected pairing of Hanoi Rocks legend Michael Monroe’s punk-rock swagger with modern EDM textures.
• Other Notable Singles: Tracks like “Bonnie & Clyde” (with Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth), “Katon peiliin” (with Sini Yasemin), and “Rauhaa ja rakkautta” (with Aste) further cemented the duo’s versatility.

Legacy and Impact

Though STEREO was conceptualized primarily as a project for the duration of Haloo Helsinki!’s hiatus, its impact on the participants and the wider landscape of Finnish pop is significant. It proved that mainstream rock musicians could cross over into electronic production without losing their signature melodic identity.

For fans of Finnish music, STEREO remains a fascinating capsule of a creative window—a time when two of the country’s top rock architects decided to turn down the guitars, turn up the synths, and throw one of the most memorable electronic parties in modern Finnish pop history.