Musician Jaakko Salovaara reflects on anniversaries of hits Freestyler and Sandstorm

Musician, composer, and producer Jaakko Salovaara reflects on the surprise of his famous tracks reaching significant anniversaries while playing padel. This year marks the 25th anniversary of his globally popular hits, Freestyler and Sandstorm. “It was a surprise for me too after such a long time. It’s quite magical that their releases were so close together,” Salovaara shares.

Salovaara contacted Ville Virtanen, known as Darude, to confirm the dates. Indeed, Sandstorm was released by Salovaara’s own label, 16inch Records, on October 26, 1999, while Freestyler by Bomfunk MC’s was released a day earlier on October 25, 1999. Salovaara was the producer for Sandstorm and the composer and producer for Freestyler.

Reflecting on their success, he notes, “Both hits were created with a lot of passion.” Darude performed Freestyler during the Suomi 100 live concert. Salovaara mentions that both tracks experienced a resurgence in popularity. “The 90s and early 2000s tracks are trending, even among the youth,” he says.

Sandstorm was featured in the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics this summer and is played at nearly all sports events across America. A recent development for Freestyler included collaboration with Belgian producer DJ Lost Frequencies, who created a remix for his gigs.

Bomfunk MC’s made a comeback in 2018, touring Scandinavia and Europe. Salovaara has received inquiries about potential performances, suggesting that audiences still have a demand for the group’s music.

Freestyler’s roots trace back to old-school rap and dance beats, produced during the final stages of Bomfunk MC’s 1999 album, In Stereo. Originally, there were no plans to release it as a single, but it quickly became a hit in Sweden, sparking a domino effect of international success. The music video, directed by Miikka Lommi, featured breakdancing and the memorable character Marlo, which Salovaara describes as a powerful combination.