Genelec proudly joined forces with world-famous Finnish rockstar, Ville Valo, to auction a stunning pair of custom 8341 'The Ones' Smart Active Monitors featuring unique 'Vertigo Eyes' artwork designed and painted by Valo himself. The bidding closed on the 23rd of October 2022, and all proceeds were donated in support of the ETKL social welfare charity in Finland.
Ville Valo Auction
Ville Valo
Celebrated singer, songwriter and co-founder of legendary rock band HIM, Ville Valo is one of Finland’s most recognised musical figures, achieving more than ten million worldwide record sales and scooping eight of his native land's coveted Emma Awards. During HIM's eight-album reign at the pinnacle of rock, Valo took the time to collaborate with other major acts including Apocalyptica, Bloodhound Gang and The Mission.
With HIM disbanding in 2017, Valo realised a dream of his by singing with Finnish rock'n'roll legends, Agents, resulting in their well-received platinum-selling album 'Ville Valo and Agents'. Today, Valo's fans are once again buzzing with fierce anctipation as his debut solo album 'Neon Noir', due for release on 13th of January 2023, looks set to be sensational.
Alongside his musical success, Valo has whole-heartedly embraced visual artistry. As a child, he painted at his father's side with water colours, later developing skills with new mediums and channelling his abilities into creating the much-loved album covers that have set the mood for his expressive music career. For Ville, the chance to help a very important cause and mix his love for sound and art in a fresh new way was unmissable.
Custom 8341s
Valo, who first experienced Genelec monitors in his early HIM years, now powers his private studio with his own pair of 8341 compact three-way monitors. As with all our 'The Ones Series' monitors, the 8341 features a point-source coaxial design that creates flawless sound reproduction with exceptional imaging, extended frequency response and controlled directivity. With pure performance - even at low levels - and handy integration with our GLM room calibration software, the 8341 offers a truly sublime listening experience.
Commenting on his unique artwork for The Ones, Valo reveals that “Due to their coaxial design, I’ve always called them 'The Eyes', so it felt only natural to develop that thought a bit further and use acrylics to pointillistically depict a pair of eyes looking into the soul of the listener. In fact, the inspiration comes from the cover art of the Neon Noir album.”
All funds generated from the auction were donated to Valo's choice of charity, which was the Federation of Mother and Child Homes and Shelters (ETKL) in Finland (known locally as Ensi- ja turvakotien liitto), a nationwide social welfare organisation helping children and families in difficult and insecure situations while preventing domestic violence and violence against women.
“The little ones rarely have the opportunity to be picky about the surroundings they're brought up in, and I honestly believe everyone should have a fair chance at life before they're able to make their own decisions about which direction to head in,” adds Valo. “I know there's not a whole lot we can agree on in this divided world of ours, but I'm pretty sure this comes close, and ETKL will do their very best to create a safe space for those that are in dire need of one.”
Genelec proudly joined forces with world-famous Finnish rockstar, Ville Valo, to auction a stunning pair of custom 8341 'The Ones' Smart Active Monitors featuring unique 'Vertigo Eyes' artwork designed and painted by Valo himself. The bidding closed on the 23rd of October 2022, and all proceeds were donated in support of the ETKL social welfare charity in Finland.
Making a Difference
Violence against women and children has long been recognised as a global issue, with an estimated one in three women worldwide having been subjected to either physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. In 2021, the ETKL Federation helped more than 23,000 people in Finland, approximately 6,600 of whom were children.
“The proceeds from the charity auction went to support our chat services which help adults as well as children and young people suffering from violence,” explains Tiina Muukkonen, ETKL’s Development Manager. “Given the distressing nature of violent relationships, discussing your situation in a safe, anonymous chat environment makes it easier to find help. The support of Ville and Genelec will help even more people affected by domestic violence to find help and solace.”
“ETKL is doing incredibly important work in helping victims of violence,” concludes Kati Pajukallio, Genelec's Marketing Project Manager. Low threshold help, such as chat services, can be the first step in finding a way to end a violent relationship. Being able to help ETKL in their work feels meaningful and purposeful, and I hope that this will have real impact on people´s lives – bringing them a future without fear.”
Genelec's eBay auction for Ville Valo's custom-painted 8341 monitors closed for bids at 21:00 EEST on Sunday the 23rd of October 2022.
Read our full auction rules here.
Click the button below to view the auction page - thank you to everyone that took part!
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