2xLP

genre: ELECTRO - SYNTH POP - COSMIC

label: Voyage Direct   Cat.No: VDLP1

2025 Repress

Some things are just too good to be kept out of sight. That’s certainly the case with “Things To Think About,” the debut album from Dutch electronic music legend
Steve Rachmad’s lesser-known Sterac Electronics project.
Rachmad first rose to prominence in the late ‘90s, spearheading a wave of Dutch techno that was heavily inspired by the futurist intent and mechanical soul of Detroit. Since then, he has continued to successfully explore a dizzying array of dancefloor-focused electronic styles under a bewildering array of aliases.
It’s been a while, though, since audiences were treated to a massive dose of Sterac Electronics material. He founded the alias at the turn of the millennium, primarily as an outlet for hardware-driven electronica permeated with funk and soul. A handful of much-lauded 12” singles were released on Music Man and Interpersonal XP, before Rachmad began to focus on other projects. When inspiration struck, he’d return to the project, improvising tracks using a powerful collection of vintage synthesizers and drum machines.
Recently, Rachmad and Tom Trago decided to revisit the Sterac Electronics archive, discovering an extraordinary collection of tracks crafted at different points over the course of the last 15 years.
Now 9 of those captivating hardware jams have been brought together for the first time on Things To Think About – a warm, rich and evocative collection of electro-powered workouts that brilliantly pay homage to the music of Rachmad’s youth.
From the powerful, synth-driven mechanical funk of “Original Pattern” and the mutant electrofunk revivalism of “Game Changers”, to the baggy, West Coast-friendly boogie of “Metratron” and the intergalactic fret-free frenzy of “Archetype” (which sounds like a Cybotron-on-KLF-in-1988 cover version of “What Time Is Love”), Things To Think About is a lesson in the emotional and mood-enhancing possibilities afforded by spontaneous hardware jams.
The highlights don’t end there. Check, for example, the crystalline synth melodies, energy-surging drum hits and spaced-out chords of “Tuning Into Frequencies” and the airy lusciousness of album opener “Altruistic Endeavor.”
Like the rest of the tracks on the album, they sound timeless, as if they could have been made at any point over the last three decades. From Steve Rachmad, we’d expect nothing less.
Things To Think About will be released as a limited edition double album, preceded by a 12” single featuring another unreleased gem from the archives. [distribution info sheet]