STEREO: Inside the Electronic Side Project Born from Finnish Rock Royalty

When Finland’s massive stadium-rock powerhouse Haloo Helsinki! announced a well-deserved hiatus following a decade of relentless touring and chart-topping hits, fans wondered what the band’s creative masterminds would do next. Guitarist and songwriter Jere Marttila and guitarist Leo Hakanen didn’t rest on their laurels. Instead, they pivoted completely, stepping away from heavy guitar riffs to light up the electronic dance music (EDM) scene under a sleek, minimalist moniker: STEREO (stylized as STEREO).

From Stadium Rock to Electronic Soundscapes

For Marttila and Hakanen, STEREO served as an exciting sandbox—a deliberate deviation from the organic, high-energy rock arrangements of Haloo Helsinki! Formed to channel their passion for production, beats, and club culture, the duo threw themselves into electronic dance music.

Rather than treating the project as a casual hobby, they approached it with the meticulous precision and grand scale expected of seasoned musicians. STEREO bridged the gap between underground electronic rhythms and massive, radio-friendly pop hooks, creating a distinct sonic footprint that quickly caught the attention of Finnish music fans.

The Star-Studded Album: 00740

STEREO’s defining moment arrived in 2019 with the release of their debut studio album, 00740. True to the collaborative spirit of modern electronic dance music, the album functioned less like a traditional band record and more like a curated producer’s showcase.

Marttila and Hakanen brought together an impressive roster of prominent Finnish artists across various genres, turning each track into a unique cross-pollination of styles:

• “Sä saat mut palasiksi” featuring Samu Haber (formerly of Sunrise Avenue) merged emotional pop vocals with driving club beats.
• “Woo Woo” featured rock icon Michael Monroe, injecting raw, high-octane attitude into an electronic framework.
• “Bonnie & Clyde” paired them with Ida Paul & Kalle Lindroth, blending acoustic storytelling sensibilities with modern production.
• Additional collaborations featured heavy-hitters like Etta, Aste, Teflon Brothers, and Sini Yasemin, proving the duo’s versatility across hip-hop, pop, and rock.

A Fleeting, Impactful Phenomenon

STEREO was conceived primarily as a creative outlet for the duration of Haloo Helsinki!’s hiatus in 2018–2019. As a live act, they brought a fresh dynamic to festival stages, swapping out traditional band setups for high-energy DJ and production rigs tailored for late-night crowds.

While the project was built to capture a specific window of time, 00740 and its string of hit singles left a lasting impression on the modern Finnish pop and EDM landscape. It showcased how versatile songwriters can bend genres, proving that great hooks and powerful production transcend stylistic boundaries—whether played through a massive stadium guitar amplifier or thumping through club subwoofers.