STERAC is the alias of Steve Rachmad, born in 1969 in Amsterdam and active in electronic music since the early 1980s. As STERAC he focuses on the stark, functional side of techno rooted in the Detroit sound, while his other aliases such as Parallel 9 and Sterac Electronics explore house and disco. His 1996 album 'Secret Life of Machines' is regarded as a classic of Detroit-inspired techno, and his catalogue has appeared on labels including Delsin, Tresor, M-Plant and Klockworks. In 2026 he marks 45 years in music with a world tour, new releases on Dekmantel and others, and a gradual reissue of his entire back catalogue.
Under the name Steve Rachmad presents Adverse Match, the album 'Light and Time' was released, a broader-oriented, cinematic work within his oeuvre.
As part of his anniversary year, Rachmad released the 3-6-9 EP via the label Dekmantel, where he also performed multiple times during the festival and Dekmantel Selectors.
On 18 April, Rachmad took over club TILLATEC in Amsterdam with two of his own sets, including as STERAC, and a b2b-set with Nastia.
In Berlin, Sterac performed together with Colin Benders at the Berghain, a live set that had been cancelled the year before.
Rachmad started the gradual re-release of his complete back-catalogue on Bandcamp, with the re-issued EP 'No Hype / No Crap' under the alias Adverse Match as the first release.
