Beyond the Stadium Rock: The Story of STEREO, Finland’s Star-Studded EDM Side Project
When major rock stars step outside their comfort zones, the results can range from bizarre misfires to brilliant artistic reinventions. In Finland, when Leo Hakanen and Jere Marttila—the musical powerhouses behind Haloo Helsinki!, one of the country’s most successful pop-rock bands—decided to take a temporary breather from stadium tours, they didn’t just rest. Instead, they built a dance-floor-ready electronic playground known simply as STEREO.
Active primarily during Haloo Helsinki!’s high-profile hiatus in 2018–2019, STEREO emerged as a vibrant, collaborative electronic dance music (EDM) project that captured the Finnish music scene by storm.
The Genesis of STEREO: A Creative Detour
For over a decade, Hakanen and Marttila helped shape the melodic rock and pop soundscapes of Haloo Helsinki!, earning multi-platinum albums and filling arenas across Finland. However, the relentless cycle of writing, recording, and touring left both musicians craving a different kind of creative outlet.
Eschewing guitars in favor of synthesizers, drum machines, and club-ready production, they formed STEREO. The project allowed them to experiment with modern electronic production, blending infectious pop structures with energetic club rhythms. Rather than keeping it an anonymous bedroom project, they leaned heavily into collaboration, turning STEREO into a rotating collective of Finland’s finest musical talent.
00740: A Love Letter to Lauttasaari
The pinnacle of the duo’s output arrived in 2019 with the release of their debut full-length album, 00740.
The album’s title is deeply personal: 00740 is the postal code for Lauttasaari, an island and neighborhood in Helsinki where the duo spent much of their time writing and developing the project. The album served as an urban, nocturnal audio-tour of Helsinki’s electronic underbelly, packed with sleek production, pulsing basslines, and melancholic yet uplifting Nordic melodies.
A Star-Studded Cast of Collaborators
What truly set STEREO apart was its collaborative spirit. Instead of featuring a single permanent lead vocalist, Hakanen and Marttila enlisted an all-star roster of Finnish artists, matching each track’s distinct electronic pulse with a unique vocal personality:
- “Vuosien päästä” (feat. Etta): A massive commercial hit combining sharp rap verses from rising star Etta with an soaring, atmospheric electronic chorus.
- “Sä saat mut palasiksi” (feat. Samu Haber): Featuring the unmistakable raspy vocals of former Sunrise Avenue frontman Samu Haber, blending stadium-sized emotional weight with driving EDM drops.
- “Woo Woo” (feat. Michael Monroe): A high-octane collaboration with Hanoi Rocks legend Michael Monroe, injecting raw punk-rock swagger into an electronic framework.
- “Bonnie & Clyde” (feat. Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth): A smooth, radio-friendly pop-EDM hybrid showcasing the harmonious chemistry of the popular acoustic pop duo.
- Other Notable Cuts: Tracks featuring prominent Finnish acts like Aste, Sini Yasemin, and Markus Salo further cemented the album’s diverse sonic footprint.
Musical Style and Cultural Impact
While electronic dance music projects by rock musicians often risk feeling like a fleeting novelty, STEREO was praised for its meticulous production quality and genuine understanding of pop-EDM dynamics. Hakanen and Marttila proved that their songwriting prowess wasn’t restricted to standard band instrumentation.
The project bridged the gap between underground club culture and mainstream Finnish pop, dominating radio airwaves and streaming playlists throughout 2019.
Legacy
Though STEREO was conceptualized primarily as a project for Haloo Helsinki!’s hiatus, its short-lived yet intense run left a lasting mark on contemporary Finnish music. It demonstrated how established artists can successfully reinvent their sound, break routine, and foster community through cross-genre collaboration. For fans of Nordic pop and electronic music, STEREO remains a brilliant snapshot of what happens when two rock architects decide to plug in the synthesizers and see where the night takes them.
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