K-Hand

One of the best Detroit DJs during the late '80s, Kelli Hand set up her own Acacia Records in 1988 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. She had spent time clubbing in New York (mostly at Larry Levan's Paradise Garage) before she began buying house records in the mid-'80s. Hand later became a DJ, mixing sets around the Motor City with an equal weight on house as well as techno.

After K Hand founded Acacia Records, she began 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 debut for Ausfahrt (Fantasy) followed one year later. Hand has also provided house remixes for Carl Craig's Paperclip People and Argonic.