Mika Vainio

Mika Vainio was born on May 15, 1963, in Helsinki, but grew up in Turku.^[5][6][7] In the early 1980s, he played in the group Gagarin-Kombinaatti while also working at a slaughterhouse.^[8]

In the late 1980s, Vainio began DJing and organizing parties, playing acid house. It was here that he met Tommi Grönlund, who would later found Sähkö Recordings.^[9] Sähkö would release much of Vainio's music.

In the mid-1990s, he formed the group Pan Sonic with Ilpo Väisänen and later Sami Salo (who would soon leave). Pan Sonic disbanded in December 2009, playing their final concert on December 18.^[10]

Vainio died on April 12, 2017, in Trouville-sur-Mer, France,^[1] after falling six meters off a cliff into the sea.^[11][12] The exact circumstances of his death are unknown.^[12]

• Mika Vainio official site
• Mika Vainio fansite on pHinnWeb
• Mika Vainio discography at Discogs
• Mika Vainio discography at MusicBrainz
• Mika Vainio remembered by Blast First boss Paul Smith