Max HeyraudSteve Rachmad chats about his decades in techno, exploring creativity, live performance, collaboration, and the enduring soul in his music.
Steve Rachmad is a name synonymous with soul, and it’s exactly that soul that the Dutch electronic maverick has poured into his music for decades. The techno scene moves faster than ever, and to stay afloat, never mind remain relevant, while consistently moving forward, is no easy feat. In Rachmad’s case, reinventing yourself while staying true to the mechanics, feelings, and emotions that make your music timeless is a challenge few artists can master. Yet Steve is a generational talent. His name is whispered among the true legends of techno, from the Detroit innovators like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson to UK pioneers such as Surgeon and Luke Slater, as well as Dutch classic techno champions like Speedy J and Orlando Voorn. Rachmad has earned his place in that conversation as a bona fide, one-in-a-million artist.
Influenced by the classic Detroit sounds of the late ’80s and ’90s, many artists bought 909s and 101s with the hope of recreating that iconic sound that would shape techno as we know it. Few, however, have held up in that conversation quite like Rachmad. In today’s electronic music landscape, technology can feel limiting rather than liberating, but Rachmad has always infused life into the machines he works with, creating an indescribable, palpable feeling that can’t be taught in a masterclass or tutorial. It’s that soul that runs through all of his 19+ aliases.
Rachmad’s own bio begins with the statement: “Mentioning releases, remixes, or labels on which Steve Rachmad has shown his craftsmanship is pointless and time-consuming.” That speaks volumes about the sheer breadth of stunning music the Dutch don has produced. In this interview, he speaks candidly about his decades-long journey in dance music, offering insight into the artistry, philosophy, and passion that have defined his career.
Let’s start with your recent B2B with Rod, aka Benny Rodrigues, at Dekmantel — two stalwarts of the Dutch techno scene at arguably the country’s most respected electronic music festival. It looked and sounded great on all accounts. How was it?
It was great, especially playing with Benny, who I really adore as a person. We haven’t played together that much, but whenever we do, it always flows so naturally. They gave us the closing slot at Dekmantel, and the crowd was really into it. I had such a great time.
You’ve also done a couple of B2Bs with The Advent recently. I’m curious, how did you and Cisco first connect all those years ago?
I’m not completely sure anymore when or where we first met, but it must have been sometime in the ’90s, probably at an event we were both playing at back then. At that time, Colin McBean was still part of it. I remember them playing the main stage at Dance Valley, which was great.
You’ve been playing live and improvising as part of STOOR and with Colin Benders quite a bit. What is it about that process that excites you?
Before Jochem invited me to do a STOOR session at his studio, I had never been interested in performing live, to be honest. When he asked me, it was during the COVID period when everything was shut down. It was a time of trying out new things just to stay sane, so I said yes immediately without thinking twice.
Later, I sat in my studio wondering what gear to bring, something that would get me going without too much preparation, allowing me to just play freely and spontaneously. For me, the whole experience was exciting because it was something I had never done before in my entire career, and it brought a sense of freshness that I really needed. I have to thank Jochem for that, without him, it probably never would have happened.
These days, I perform live in a spontaneous jam format with Colin Benders and Lady Starlight, sometimes as a duo and sometimes as a trio. Last summer, we played an incredible show together at Neopop in Portugal, which was honestly one of the best performances I’ve had in a long time. My live jam with Colin at the prestigious Ruhrtriennale x The Third Room festival in Germany also went really well. We’re currently planning a 6AM LA show with Lady Starlight, along with a U.S. tour that includes stops in Chicago, Phoenix, and Florida.
I love collaborating with like-minded artists, people with no ego, where everyone brings something unique, and we can truly complement each other. These collaborations have brought back the excitement of performing live, something I probably never would have explored on my own. And beyond the music, I just love spending time with Colin and Colleen, they’re my kind of people, both personally and musically.
I know you’re a big fan of vintage synths and hardware, but is there any new hardware, or even plugins, that are exciting you at the moment?
I’m very much part of both worlds. There are so many amazing tools available today, both software and hardware, and I use a mix of the two. Some tools only exist as plugins, which you simply can’t replicate in the hardware world, and many of those are really fascinating.
Lately, I’ve been really into digitally recallable analogue hardware, gear that can be controlled either directly on the machine itself or through a computer plugin. The great thing about that setup is how convenient it is: you can load a song, and all your analogue EQs, compressors, and other settings instantly sync up perfectly when you open the session.
You said in an interview before that “I separated myself in the studio from what was going on in the DJ world and made music straight from me and my heart.” Do you think that’s harder for artists now, especially with how prevalent social media is?
I definitely think it’s harder now than when I first started. Not just because of social media, but also because of the sheer number of people doing this nowadays. It’s like the cake we had back in the day now has to be shared among many more people — the slices just keep getting thinner. And of course, there are plenty of other factors that make things more challenging, too.
What are your general thoughts on social media and its influence on music today?
Social media, for me, is more of a necessity than something I actually enjoy. It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, it can be helpful, but it can also be quite dangerous.
Do you think we know too much about artists now? Has some of the mystery, and maybe even the magic, been lost?
I think there really isn’t much mystery left about artists these days. Everything about everyone is out there, unless you make a conscious effort to distance yourself from it all: no social media, no interviews, nothing. I still remember when Basic Channel emerged. Nothing was known about them because they didn’t do interviews, and there were no photos. Their records were pressed in Detroit, so that’s the only clue I had about where they were from.
It’s also about how you handle it. Not every interviewer asks the deeper questions, and you can choose not to overshare. It’s definitely possible to create a balanced presence. Personally, I don’t feel the need to hide who I am or what I’m about. This is me, what you see is what you get.
You have 19 different aliases listed on Discogs. What is it about switching personas or releasing music enigmatically or anonymously that excites you?
I had many aliases back in the day, but I don’t use most of them anymore. I’ve narrowed it down to just a few that are most important to me: Sterac, Sterac Electronics, Parallel 9, and, of course, my own name. These are the ones that will stay and represent all the styles that are truly me.
Staying on aliases, one of your most well-known is STERAC. What was the purpose behind creating that particular moniker?
Back in the day, it was mostly about exclusivity; certain labels didn’t want me using the same name on a different label. To work around that, I came up with new aliases. Over time, I also started associating certain names with specific styles.
You recently remastered “The Viking” with Heiko Laux. Where did that idea come from, and do you think it’s important to bring vinyl-only releases to digital platforms?
I finally decided to start my Bandcamp to channel some sales directly to me. Heiko Laux gave me the final push I needed and helped my management polish the page and get things rolling. We’ll be releasing more on there soon, including an album this month featuring some old tracks sped up, as well as previously unreleased material. Over the years, many rights have returned to me, and I want people to have access to this music. That’s why we’re planning to re-release it on our own terms, in-house, via Bandcamp. In 2026, I’ll roll out even more of my old releases to celebrate 45 years in music with a special tour.
When you revisit your past work, like certain tracks and releases, does it influence or affect your current creative direction at all?
Sometimes it does, but not always. I am all over the place with music so everything affects me somehow and sometimes unconsciously.
Let’s go back a bit. When did you first discover Detroit techno?
I discovered it around ’86 or ’87 when I started buying house records. At first, I wasn’t paying much attention, but after building a small collection, I noticed that quite a few records were by a guy named Derrick May. That’s when I really started paying attention to techno artists.
When did you first visit Detroit, and what kind of impact did that have on you personally and musically?
I first went to Detroit in 2002 for the DEMF festival. To be honest, the surroundings were shocking, not what I expected. I saw burnt-down houses just standing there, which is something you wouldn’t see in the Netherlands, where such buildings would either be repaired or torn down. Seeing these buildings left as they are, often due to poverty, gives a very sad impression at first glance. Musically, though, it didn’t affect me; the “damage” had already been done long before that.
Which Dutch artists were inspiring you during your formative years?
Quazar, Orlando Voorn, Speedy J, actually the whole generation that was before me.
And finally, how are you feeling about techno right now?
To be honest, I try not to overthink techno nowadays. It’s actually very simple, you either feel it or you don’t. There’s no good or bad; it’s all completely personal.
