Kelli Hand, aka K-Hand, was a pioneering force in Detroit's dance music history, bringing a distinctive character to her house and techno tracks as the culture formed around her. Active from the late '80s until the time of her death in 2021, Hand was responsible for classic tracks like "Global Warning" and "Remember When," as well as multiple albums, remixes, and performances that earned her the title of "First Lady of Detroit Techno." Hand was born in Detroit in 1965 and spent time in her teenage years clubbing in New York City and soaking in the influence of Larry Levan's mid-'80s performances at Paradise Garage. She began buying records and teaching herself how to DJ shortly thereafter, and by the late '80s had developed a sound of her own built on distinctive use of samples, minimal arrangements, raw drum sounds, and rhythmic elements adapted from the Chicago house scene of the time. She set up her own Acacia Records imprint in 1990 and later began producing albums in earnest during the mid-'90s, recording precise acid stormers as well as a growing number of tracks more on the verge of jazzy progressive house. Soon she was releasing tight Detroit classics like "Think About It," "Everybody," "Flash Back," and "Mystery." By 1994, Hand was being name-checked by an international audience, and the release of her break-out single "Global Warning" on Warp that same year cemented her status as one of the top Detroit producers -- not just one of the top female producers. High-profile compilation appearances on Trance Europe Express, Vol. 2 and Detroit: Beyond the Third Wave extended her fame. K-Hand entered the album ranks in 1996 with On a Journey, the first non-DJ release for Belgium's Studio !K7. Six months later, Ready for Darkness followed on Distance Records, and two months after her sophomore LP, the third was in the can as well. Soul, recorded for Germany's Ausfahrt, combined progressive house flavors with a distinctly jazzy sound showing Hand's continued risk-taking stance regarding her Detroit roots. Her second Studio !K7 album, Art of Music, appeared in 1998 and her sophomore set for Ausfahrt, Fantasy, followed one year later. Hand also provided house remixes for Carl Craig's Paperclip People and Argonic, and consistently released new music in the form of 12"s like 2002's Tools, Vol. 1 and EP projects like 2015's Intuition. Kelli Hand died on August 3, 2021, at the age of 56. ~ John Bush, Rovi