Mika Vainio


Mika Tapio Vainio was a Finnish electronic musician. He was best known as a member of Pan Sonic. In addition to his real name, he recorded under the aliases Ø, Kentolevi, Philus, and Tekonivel.
He collaborated with people like Alan Vega, Barry Adamson, Charlemagne Palestine, Alva Noto, Stephen O'Malley.

Life and career

Mika Vainio was born on May 15, 1963 in Helsinki, but grew up in Turku. In the early 1980s he played in the group Gagarin-Kombinaatti while also working at a slaughterhouse.
In the late 80s, Vainio began DJing and organizing parties, playing acid house. It was here that he met Tommi Grönlund, who would later found Sähkö Recordings. Sähkö would release much of Vainio's music.
In the mid-90s, he formed the group Pan Sonic with Ilpo Väisänen and later Sami Salo. Pan Sonic disbanded in December 2009, playing their final concert on December 18.
Vainio died on April 12, 2017 in Trouville-sur-Mer, France after falling six meters off of a cliff into the sea. The exact circumstances of his death are unknown.