Dutch techno pioneer Steve Rachmad has produced material under more than a dozen monikers, but some of his most enduring work has been issued under the truncated handle Sterac. In contrast to material under other names, which sometimes skew toward house or disco influences, he generally reserves Sterac for his deepest, darkest techno excursions. Sterac's 1995 debut full-length, Secret Life of Machines, expanded upon the driving, melodic sound of Detroit techno artists like Derrick May and Carl Craig. Since then, Sterac has continued releasing stripped-down but expressive techno releases on numerous well-regarded labels. He's also used the related Sterac Electronics project for music inspired by vintage electro-funk, including the 2017 full-length Things to Think About. Several Sterac EPs have appeared since, including 2022's Missing Secrets and Light in the Darkness.