Bio
Steve Rachmad (Dekmantel // Amsterdam)
Since his earliest days in the scene, Amsterdam’s electronic music pioneer Steve Rachmad has created a legion of monikers to cover the broadness of his compositions. Black Scorpion, Tons of Tones, Rachmad Project, Scorp, Ignacio, Dreg, Parallel 9, Sterac Electronics, STERAC; they all represent a different facet of Rachmad’s music. Nowadays, Rachmad focuses on the latter three and his birth-name.
Listing the countless releases, remixes, labels, clubs and festivals with one of Steve’s names on it, would quickly turn into a long catalogue of names, places and dates. Impressive as that list may be, let’s not go there. The real essence lies in the music itself — something best explored through the many recordings and DJ sets that are out there.
Because as Miles had his horn and Pablo took to canvas, Steve has an unequalled gift for (almost physically) connecting with every thinkable drum machine and synthesizer out there. If the man had kids, boys would listen to Roland or Robert (Moog), and a girl would surely be named Linn, after the machine made famous by Prince and others in the 80’s. Some claim it’s analogue machine telepathy, others say he was born with all the right connectors and inputs hidden somewhere underneath his trademark curly hairdo.
This connection with the instruments has helped create a body of work that has remained consistently relevant across generations of electronic music. Producers and DJs from different scenes instantly recognise Steve’s signature: a unique balance of groove, harmony and depth that continues to resonate on dance-floors around the world.
As a DJ, Rachmad is rooted in the finest traditions of techno and house, his sets draw inspiration from decades of musical exploration, including a deep love for electro and disco. The result is a one that reflects both the history and the future of electronic music.
In 2026, Steve Rachmad celebrates 45 years in music — a journey that began when he discovered records as a child and had him grow into one of electronic music’s most respected and enduring careers.
STERAC (Klockworks, Delsin // Amsterdam)
One of the main creatures living on Planet Rachmad has always been STERAC, the side of Steve’s musical personality that’s arguably most pure when it comes to style. Let’s say that where other aliases are used for excursions to more dub-, disco-, or house- oriented records, STERAC’s focus has always been on the no-nonsense, darker, and deeper side of techno.
The STERAC discography consists of signature cuts, spread out over genre-defining labels such as M-Plant, Tresor, Klockworks, Afterlife, Mote Evolver, Indigo Aera and Delsin. Over the years it’s been reinterpreted, remixed, and reworked by peers such as Ricardo Villalobos, Vince Watson and Marc Romboy, always resulting in new pieces that strongly breath the artists’ mutual feelings of respect. In recent years, STERAC has connected with the widely respected modular mayhem of people such as Colin Benders and Jochem Paap’s STOOR, a merge that is shaking up dance-floors all over the world with unprecedented b2b live performances.
The work rarely fits trends or propels itself to the absolute top of subjective charts. It simmers, always ready to inspire new generations, spark new local scenes, and young artists’ careers within the musical biotope we all love.
His musical force and independent attitude have made STERAC a regular on many a stage: from his hometown’s Dekmantel, to Berghain and Tresor in Berlin, Movement festival in Detroit, Fabric London, Razzmatazz Barcelona, Basement New York, Bassiani in Tbilisi, D-Edge in Sao Paulo, and more.
Parallel 9 (Kynant, Music Man // Amsterdam)
“Extremely versatile, endlessly curious about music and machines, yet always modest and self-critical.” That’s how friends and fellow artists often describe Steve Rachmad.
Over the years, the Amsterdam producer has created a constellation of aliases to reflect the breadth of his musical ideas. Each name represents a different facet of his sound — a way to explore distinct territories within electronic music.
Several of these identities have taken on lives of their own in the DJ booth.
One of the key characters in this universe is Parallel 9. With this alias, Rachmad explores the deeper and more hypnotic edges of electronic music. A Parallel 9 set is a journey through timeless depth — drawing from vintage deep house, dub-infused techno and productions by kindred spirits who share a fascination for the more immersive side of the underground.
Parallel 9 reveals yet another dimension of Rachmad’s musical language: subtle, hypnotic and emotionally rich. Whether it’s a decades-old classic or a new production, the music speaks the same vocabulary —depth, honesty and profound love for the craft.
Sterac Electronics (Voyage Direct // Amsterdam)
Since his earliest productions, Amsterdam’s electronic music pioneer Steve Rachmad has created a wide constellation of aliases to reflect the many flavors within his music. Names such as Black Scorpion, Tons of Tones, Rachmad Project, Scorp, Parallel 9, Ignacio, Dreg and STERAC each reveal a different aspect of his creative universe.
Among them, Sterac Electronics holds a special place. Inspired by the spirit of 1980s electro, disco and funk, this alias showcases the most adventurous side of Rachmad’s artistry. It is where analogue machines, rich synthesizer textures and vintage drum programming meet his unmistakable sense of groove and harmony.
Deeply connected to the music that shaped him during his formative years, Sterac Electronics reflects the foundations of Rachmad’s musical identity. The project allows him to explore influences that lie slightly outside the techno framework, while still carrying the craftsmanship and musical depth that define his work.
As a producer and remixer, Sterac Electronics has appeared on respected labels such as Music Man, Kombination Research and Kanzleramt. In 2017, the alias reached a milestone with the album Things To Think About, released on Tom Trago’s Voyage Direct. Praised by both press and fans, the record highlighted Rachmad’s ability to create music that feels both timeless and forward thinking.
As a DJ, Sterac Electronics is presented only on carefully selected occasions, preserving the project as something special — dedicated to the right setting, the right audience and the right moment.