If you combine Steve Rachmad and Token Records, you’ll clearly come up with an indomitable force to be reckoned with. Steve Rachmad as Sterac brings to Token a set of forward-thinking, psychedelic, and soulful excursions on this “Light In The Darkness” EP.
Sterac has a definite cultivated style and a certain voice to his music that hasn’t found a match. Maybe a nod here and there to Kanzleramt label mates Heiko Laux and Kajioka who tend to use that Detroit-influenced, chord-heavy Juno fizz on their tracks, though Sterac never strays too far from personal journeys and psychedelic experimentation with his instruments. It’s what keeps things interesting for him as well as his fan base who’re always delighted to hear what new approach he’s been cooking up in his studio.
This “Light In The Darkness” EP has a lot of his classic style, however there’s some new ideas which might be cascading conceptually from the date of his Mote Evolver release “Numbers”; an innovative and hypnotic use of LFO synth work nestled within the sequencing. Here too, in the track “Mangled” is some of that flavor, but it blends with this thick, heavy hypnotic fashion and some panning work that’s super cool and interesting.
On the title track too, the Sterac vibe is unmistakable, organic, and flowing. We’re presented with the lively nature of his synth choices, and his ability to make them breathe and function on their own is pretty superb. What seems like reversed recorded and sampled synth layers are haunting and captivating in this track. It’s a simple, elegant, and unique approach that is quite brilliant. And so far, one might dare to say it has not been seen in techno to any real extent. It doesn’t come across as a gimmick, but as a logical complement to the orchestration of the track; initially, a functional layer that needed to stand out.
There’s some more of this play in “S.O.” with forward and backward synth work as if the strings playing on the synth were being bowed. A great analogy and this is again, Sterac thinking out of the box and experimenting, which is completely delightful. The track becomes a bit hectic, and the intent seems to overwhelm the senses of the listener to help create a confused state which indirectly leads to hypnosis. The track presents itself as a bit difficult for casual listening but this isn’t exactly for that, it’s a psychedelic experience.
The last track “Solidify” is no less trippy with the tweaked beyond recognition synth line in LFO in the background woven throughout the beat. The synth conceptually is kind of used like a 303 in an old Acid track, but in Sterac’s case here, instead of casually playing the filter cut off, he tweaks parameters and slaughters it into resonant mush and into and out of forms of recognition for a complete head trip.
Safe to say, this “Light In The Darkness” EP is nothing short of a modern masterwork, and some of the hypnotic brilliance, vibe, and innovation kind of has a presence similar to Juan Atkins’ style. That being cool, casual, but possessing a supremely well-informed sense of synthesis that never once loses sight of the soul in techno. A supremely solid release from Token and Sterac. If you can get a hold of the vinyl on this, it is fully recommended you jump on that before it sells out.
-Sean Ocean
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