Inside SoundVault: Behind the scenes of Finland’s rising electronic music festival
Martin Kram is the founder of SoundVault, a fast-growing Finnish festival dedicated to techno, hardstyle, immersive production, and community. What began as a small event has evolved into a festival with thousands of visitors and a clear ambition: to create experiences people remember.
In this interview, Martin gives us a look behind the scenes — from SoundVault’s beginnings and its growing community to the ideas, atmosphere, and details that shape the festival experience.
In the interview: Martin Kram
(CEO of SoundVault)
INHALTSVERZEICHNIS
About SoundVault: From Idea to Festival Vision
beyerdynamic Blog: How did the idea for SoundVault come about?
Martin: Electronic music has always been a huge passion of mine. I come from a musical family, and when I discovered electronic music at the age of seven, I was immediately hooked by its experimental and limitless nature.
SoundVault started almost by accident. I helped friends organize an event in one of Helsinki’s rougher areas. We had no big expectations, but around 100 people showed up and bought tickets. That was the moment we realized something special was happening.
From there, we kept organizing events. Most of the original team has moved on, but today SoundVault has grown into a family of nearly 20 people—and into one of Finland’s fastest-growing electronic music festivals.
beyerdynamic Blog: What sets SoundVault apart from other festivals?
Martin: What sets SoundVault apart is our customer-first mindset. Every decision—from stage design and bookings to production and services is focused on creating an unforgettable experience.
Music is the foundation, but what people remember is how they felt. That’s why we focus on immersion, atmosphere, and lasting moments. Our underground electronic music focus—techno, hard techno, and hardstyle—brings together passionate communities with a shared energy.
At its core, SoundVault is about people. When you consistently put them first, they feel it.
beyerdynamic Blog: What is the vision behind the festival?
Martin: Our vision is to become the best and most immersive electronic music festival in the Nordics. For us, the festival has never been just about music. We’re creating a space for connection, freedom, self-expression, inspiration, and community.
We’re ambitious: this year we welcome around 7,000 visitors, next year we expect 11,000 to 13,000, and within three years we believe 20,000 to 30,000 visitors is realistic.
But growth alone isn’t the goal. The goal is to create an experience so powerful that people can’t wait to return.
Bringing Together Community, Music, and Artist Experience
beyerdynamic Blog: How would you describe the Finnish techno and hardstyle community?
Martin:What makes the Finnish electronic music community special is its strong sense of unity and authenticity.
Techno and hardstyle are very different scenes: hardstyle crowds are social, energetic, and expressive, while techno audiences tend to be more introspective and focused on personal expression through dance and music.
Bringing them together has been fascinating. Despite their differences, they share the same passion for music, freedom, and self-expression.
The community is also incredibly respectful. Even at sold-out events with thousands of attendees, we’ve had virtually no incidents. That creates a unique environment.
beyerdynamic Blog: What role do you want SoundVault to play for this community?
Martin: We want SoundVault to help define what a great festival experience can be. It’s more than organizing events: we want to build a community where people feel connected, involved, and valued.
That’s why we’ve expanded beyond music with experiences like dance lessons, meditation sessions, and saunas. We also want to support emerging Finnish artists and give them opportunities to perform in front of larger audiences.
Sound, Gear, and Behind-the-Scenes Festival Moments
beyerdynamic Blog: The techno festival is extremely loud. How do you ensure that your DJs can still hear exactly what they need?
Martin: We work with experienced audio engineers who configure the monitoring systems for every performance. Monitor placement is critical: the sound needs to be positioned and timed accurately, with no noticeable delay between what the DJ hears and what is happening in the mix.
Good headphones also play a huge role, especially in loud environments where DJs rely on them for cueing and beatmatching. If a DJ can’t hear properly, the performance suffers technically and artistically.
beyerdynamic Blog: How do you manage technical handovers in the booth?
Martin: The most important factors are preparation and communication. We coordinate with artists in advance to minimize equipment changes, while stage managers and audio engineers plan every transition ahead of time.
Since most DJs use similar setups, transitions are usually smooth. If additional mics, mixers, or players are needed, a clear plan keeps the process manageable.
The goal is to solve potential issues before the artist enters the booth—because a seamless handover on stage usually means strong preparation behind the scenes.
beyerdynamic Blog: What was your biggest sound challenge with SoundVault and how did you solve it?
Martin: One of our biggest sound challenges was the Hyper Immersion Stage, located inside an old circular metal structure. With metal walls and no roof, the reflections were extreme—an audio engineer’s nightmare.
We installed hundreds of square meters of molton fabric to absorb high-frequency reflections, built a large bass trap to control low-frequency buildup, and adjusted speaker angles to minimize problematic reflections.
It wasn’t perfect, but through acoustic treatment, speaker optimization, and smart engineering, we turned a difficult space into something that sounded far better than expected.
beyerdynamic Blog: What must a pair of headphones deliver in a live setting to ensure they function just as reliably at 4 am as they did at the start of the evening?
Martin: In einer Live-Umgebung muss ein Kopfhörer drei Dinge leisten:
- Durability and reliability: They need to survive drops, long nights, changing temperatures, and rough handling.
- Sound quality: Clear mids, highs, and transient details are crucial for accurate beatmatching.
- Isolation: Blocking external noise helps DJs focus in loud environments, even though some prefer hearing the main PA as well.
beyerdynamic Blog: Is there a moment from SoundVault that has stayed with you, technically or atmospherically?
Martin: One unforgettable moment happened during the final setup, when a large lighting and speaker tower got stuck just 15 minutes before opening. For a moment, it felt like the entire event was at risk.
Luckily, it was only a jammed locking mechanism, and we fixed it just in time. Another intense moment came when a fire inspector arrived three hours before our first major outdoor event due to a safety complaint.
The issues were minor, mostly documentation and small adjustments, but under that pressure, worst-case thinking takes over quickly. We received approval just minutes before opening.
beyerdynamic Blog: Thank you for giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of SoundVault Festival. We wish you continued success and unforgettable events in the future. Rave on!
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