Js16
Biography
Behind the pseudonym JS16 is the Finnish musician Jaakko Salovaara, full name Jaakko Sakari Salovaara, born on January 13, 1975 in Turku.
He released his first vinyl, “Hypnosynthesis”, at the age of 16, which is the origin of his stage name. His interest in dance and house composition was inspired by DJing, which he started at age 14. The artist has a solid classical background, having started cello lessons at the age of five. At 20, he played cello for a year with the Turku Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1998, JS16 released an album titled “Stomping System”. The tracks “Stomping System”, “Stomp to My Beat”, and “Love Supreme” were major hits in Finland. The eponymous track “Stomping System” was very successful in the British club scene, reaching No. 6 on the UK Club Chart. When the album was released in Japan, “Stomp to My Beat” reached the top of the dance charts of two major radio stations.
In 1999, “Love Supreme” was released in the United Kingdom where it achieved high positions in several charts. “Stomp to My Beat” was also a hit in Canada and Australia, becoming a club success in the United States where it reached No. 17 on the Billboard Maxi-Singles Sales chart. The track received good airplay in American clubs and radio.
Jaakko Salovaara is probably best known for his work as a producer for artists like Darude and Bomfunk MC's. The track Sandstorm was a huge success across Europe and Australia in 2000. The track Freestyler was the best-selling single in Europe that same year.
He is also the producer of the Spectro project, as well as other artists like Mighty 44, Dallas Superstars, and Rinneradio. He runs his own label, 16 Inch Records.
Under different aliases, he explores other musical worlds. As Papa Blue, he created a psychedelic jazz record titled “En Velo”, released by Sähkö Recordings. He also uses the pseudonyms Wavecraft and Project E 64, and sometimes works under his own name, Jaakko Salovaara.
JS16 has remixed many internationally recognized artists, including Britney Spears, Vanessa Mae, ATB, Ricky Martin, Samantha Fox, Blank & Jones, DJ Alligator Project, Alexia, and Barcode Brothers.
Jaakko Salovaara was named Producer of the Year at the Emma Awards (the Finnish equivalent of the Grammy Awards) for three consecutive years, from 1998 to 2000. He also received the respected Marketing Act of the Year 2000 award (Vuoden Markkinointiteko 2000, SML) for his work with Darude and Bomfunk MC's.