Design19

Trigger has now been streamed over 20 million times. 🔥

More than two decades after its release, the album keeps reaching new listeners around the world. To mark this chapter, we’ve released exclusive Design19 t-shirts as a quiet tribute to the record and everyone who keeps it spinning. 🖤

Available via Backstage Rock Shop. Worldwide shipping. Link in bio.

Artwork by Juha Aalto. 🙏🏻

The people behind darkpop: Thomas Backman – guitar
Thomas Backman is the core of Design19’s guitar sound and one of the band’s founders. He picked up the guitar at an early age and developed his skills through his own band projects as well as a passion for songwriting. Early rehearsals in school music rooms and friends’ garages gradually turned into a determined journey aimed at finding his own recognizable sound.

Thomas’s playing combines force and nuance: he crafts heavy, striking riffs for Design19’s songs, but is equally capable of creating melodic layers that give the music its dark, multi-dimensional tone. His fingerprints are especially evident in the way the songs move through contrasts, from aggression to sensitivity, distortion to beauty. As a founding member, Thomas has been part of shaping darkpop’s aesthetic from the very beginning, and his guitar sound remains central to the tension that makes Design19’s music both recognizable and relevant.

The people behind darkpop: Niko Leminen () – drums

Niko Leminen is the rhythmic backbone of Design19 and the youngest of the band’s members to join. He began playing music already in elementary school, first with brass instruments and soon after with drums. Early influences from punk and rock shaped his style, but over the years his playing expanded to combine precision, power and experimental rhythmic structures.

In Design19, Niko brings both intensity and dynamics: his drumming can be precise and controlled, yet also surprisingly ferocious. This makes him the perfect interpreter of darkpop’s essence, where quiet, almost minimalist passages can suddenly collapse into heavy energy. Niko’s role in the band is more than just keeping time. He is the spark that sets the songs in motion and maintains their tension from the first beat to the last.

More than 20 years after its release, Trigger keeps finding new ears around the world. 🔥

To mark this chapter, we’ve released exclusive Design19 t-shirts, a quiet tribute to the album and everyone who carries it forward. 🖤

Available via Backstage Rock Shop, worldwide shipping. 👉🏻 https://www.backstagerockshop.com/collections/design19?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_content=d19post

Artwork by 🙏🏻

The people behind darkpop: Mika Häkki – bass

Mika Häkki is the solid foundation of Design19 and the deep frequency of the band’s sound. He began his musical journey as a child with violin and guitar, but soon found his true instrument in the bass. His playing combines heavy, metallic roots with melodic sensitivity, giving the songs their distinctive weight and color.

Mika’s basslines are not just a rhythmic support in the background, but an essential element of Design19’s darkpop aesthetic. They paint the groundwork upon which guitars, keyboards and vocals build their contrasts. His playing can growl aggressively or flow melodically, making it an important bridge between darkness and hope.

As a musician, Mika is also known as a versatile artist: his interest in visual art, particularly surrealism, is reflected in the way he approaches music, finding order within chaos, and turning that order into beauty. This philosophy can be heard in every note he brings to Design19’s music.

The people behind darkpop: Eerikki “Eeka” Mäkynen – vocals

Eeka Mäkynen is the voice of Design19 and one of the original architects of the darkpop style. Raised in Vaasa, he found his way into music early through guitar and drums, but ultimately his voice became his primary instrument. His vocal style moves from subtle sensitivity to furious outbursts, creating the tension that defines Design19’s distinctive atmosphere.

Eeka’s background as an active figure in Vaasa’s music scene, combined with years of experience both on stage and behind the scenes, has shaped him into a charismatic performer capable of carrying songs in both intimate moments and on large stages. For him, music has always been the guiding thread, a way to unite shadow and light, distortion and melody, and this vision continues to drive the core of Design19.

We’ve released exclusive Design19 t-shirts to celebrate our album Trigger crossing the magic line with 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify worldwide and 9,000,000+ streams in the past 12 months. 🖤

We’re genuinely grateful you’ve kept Trigger spinning worldwide. This means everything to us.🙏🏻

T-shirts available via Backstage Rock Shop. Worldwide shipping is available. More info at Backstage Rock Shop. 🖤
👉🏻 https://www.backstagerockshop.com/collections/design19

Huge thanks to for the artwork.