Amsterdam’s electronic music pioneer Steve Rachmad has spent decades shaping the sound of techno, house, electro, and beyond.
Photo credit: Marie Staggat
Through aliases such as Ignacio, Parallel 9, Sterac Electronics, and STERAC, he has explored different facets of his musical identity while maintaining a signature balance of groove, harmony, and depth that has influenced generations of artists.
Few producers have maintained such a consistent connection to machines and sound across so many eras of electronic music. From his earliest experiments with drum machines and synthesizers to his current work, Rachmad’s productions continue to bridge the history and future of dance music.
Now celebrating 45 years in music and marking the release of his new ‘3-6-9’ EP on Dekmantel, Rachmad reflects on inspiration, instinct, creativity, and the emotional power of music.
EG: Hi Steve, welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. Where are you today, and how are you arriving into this moment?
Steve Rachmad: Thank you for having me! I’m at home in Amsterdam today, slowly getting ready for the weekend ahead in Madrid. Right now I’m still taking it easy in bed, easing into the day and enjoying a quiet moment before things pick up again.
EG: You’ve been part of electronic music for over four decades now. Do you remember the first moment that made you feel like this wasn’t just music, but something you wanted to dedicate your life to?
Steve Rachmad: I don’t remember the exact moment anymore, but I do remember being very young, around 12 years old. Back then, I was already fascinated by audio equipment and initially thought I would become a technician designing sound systems, maybe even study at a technical university one day. But music had other plans for me.
My interest quickly shifted from consumer audio gear to professional studio equipment and electronic instruments. At that age, I was so obsessed with the records I was hearing that I could already recognize which drum machine was used on a track without ever having actually seen the machines in real life. You have to remember this was the early ’80s; there was no internet and barely any access to photos or information about this equipment.
Looking back, those were already clear signs that for me this was much more than just listening to music. It had already become a deep fascination with sound itself and the emotional world you could create through machines and music.
EG: Congratulations on your ‘3-6-9’ EP with Dekmantel. There’s a sense of raw energy running through these tracks. What sparked the creation of this release at this point in your journey?
Steve Rachmad: It was actually exactly how you describe it in the question. With this EP, I consciously went for a more raw, pure and old-school sound — something I’ve always loved deeply.
For me, the real spark behind these tracks was the sound itself. I often get inspired very directly by sounds that trigger something emotionally or physically in me. Certain textures, drum sounds, or synth tones can immediately send me into a creative flow. With ‘3-6-9,’ I wanted to reconnect with that stripped-back energy and the directness that first made me fall in love with techno.
EG: The EP feels deeply rooted in the essence of techno, but also connected to electro funk and early house influences. When you were making it, were you consciously revisiting those foundations, or did it happen more instinctively?
Steve Rachmad: Usually, things happen very instinctively for me. Of course, I have ideas and a certain love for how I want things to feel and sound, but the process itself tends to happen naturally. I always try to keep things as timeless as possible whenever I can.
And to be honest, ‘3’ was never originally meant to become a finished track in the way it exists now. I actually recorded it as a quick live take, more like a reminder or sketch for something I planned to properly finish later on. We’re probably talking pre-2006 here.
Years later, when I listened back to that recording, I realized I could never recreate that exact state of mind again. I could never make it sound like that again either. Even though there were a few imperfections in the take, I eventually understood that those imperfections were also part of what made it special to me. I couldn’t improve on it anymore without losing its spirit.
So after many, many years, I finally decided it was time to share it with the world.
“I think the biggest risk today is trying too hard to keep up with the speed of everything. You can easily lose yourself in it”
EG: After so many years in the game, your music still carries a strong sense of movement and purpose. What does a track need to have for you to feel like it’s truly alive?
Steve Rachmad: Music will always be my strongest sense of purpose. I truly see it as part of my purpose in life. Of course, I love sound, machines, and the creative process itself, but over the years, I also started realizing how deeply music can affect people emotionally and mentally.
I’ve had many conversations with people who experienced something profound on the dancefloor, moments where music helped them heal, release emotions or reconnect with themselves in some way. For me, that makes what we do even more beautiful and meaningful.
For a track to feel truly alive, it needs to carry emotion and movement. It has to create a certain tension or energy that keeps pulling you forward, whether that’s physical or emotional. Even the rawest or most functional techno still needs soul for me.
EG: Your relationship with Dekmantel Festival goes back many years. What keeps pulling you back to that environment, both as an artist and as someone who has witnessed the culture evolve?
Steve Rachmad: It’s actually very simple. For me personally, Dekmantel is one of the most music-lover-oriented festivals out there. You really feel that the people coming there are genuine music nerds and passionate listeners, all gathering for the love of sound and discovery.
As an artist, that creates a very special atmosphere because people are truly listening and open to the journey you want to take them on. And as someone who has witnessed electronic music culture evolve over decades, it’s beautiful to see a festival that still manages to keep that deeper musical spirit alive while continuing to push things forward.
EG: You’ve worked under different aliases like Sterac and Parallel 9 over time. What do those different identities allow you to express that your main project might not?
Steve Rachmad: For me, it has always been about music as a whole. Sometimes an artist’s identity also comes with certain expectations, and those expectations can become limiting creatively. Having different aliases allowed me to express different sides of myself freely, without feeling boxed into one specific sound or approach.
With projects like Sterac or Parallel 9, I could explore different emotional spaces, different grooves or atmospheres, while still keeping everything connected to who I am as an artist. In the end, it’s all still me.
Sometimes I’m actually a bit jealous of someone like Surgeon; he’s always just Surgeon. That probably makes life a bit easier sometimes (laughter).
EG: On a more personal note, what’s something you’ve had to unlearn or let go of to grow creatively? And, looking ahead, what feels like the next space you want to explore, either musically or personally?
Steve Rachmad: One important thing I had to go through creatively was learning to let go of a lot of insecurity that I carried with me for many years. I think many artists struggle with that in some way.
At the same time, there were also many technical approaches and so-called “rules” I learned later on in my journey — things about arrangement, mixing, or production techniques. But interestingly, some of those were also things I eventually had to unlearn again. Sometimes, certain techniques were taking me further away from the emotional core of the music instead of bringing me closer to it.
For me, music always starts with feeling and emotion. If technical perfection begins cutting away the emotional soul of a piece, then something important gets lost. So over time, I learned to trust instinct and feeling again.
Looking ahead, I still feel curious to explore deeper emotional spaces musically. I’m very interested in continuing the crossover between cinematic storytelling, ambient textures and dancefloor functionality. Personally, I think the biggest exploration is always trying to stay open, inspired, and emotionally connected to what you create, even after all these years.
“I always try to keep things as timeless as possible whenever I can”
EG: The scene today moves faster than ever. From your perspective, what’s something important that risks being lost in that speed?
Steve Rachmad: I think the biggest risk today is trying too hard to keep up with the speed of everything. You can easily lose yourself in it.
The only thing I really try to keep up with is myself, and honestly, even that can already be challenging sometimes. Of course, I pay attention to what’s happening around me, but I try not to get sucked into the constant pressure of trends, output and noise.
I think it’s important that artists still allow themselves time to develop naturally, to experiment, to fail and to grow. Sometimes the most meaningful music comes from slowing down instead of speeding up.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Steve. We wish you all the best with the ‘3-6-9’ EP and everything that’s to come. Take care!
Steve Rachmad: Thank you very much, I really appreciate it. It was a pleasure speaking with you. Big thanks to everyone at Electronic Groove for the support. I hope people enjoy the EP and also the album coming later this summer on Dekmantel, and connect with the music in their own way.
See you somewhere on a dancefloor soon. Take care!
Steve Rachmad’s ‘3-6-9’ EP is out now via Dekmantel. Stream and download your copy here.
Follow Steve Rachmad: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
