In Session: K-Hand

Detroit is home to some of the most defining artists of our lifetime and back in March we saw one of them play at Village Underground for the first time. K-Hand doesn't usually play UK gigs so when we saw her announced for Secretsundaze's Easter party, we knew we had to go and see her – it was essential.

Having released music for over two decades, Kelli Hand can only really be described as a prolific producer. Her first EP as K-Hand arrived back in 1993 via her own excellent Acacia Records and 'Ba Da Bing' set the tone for her sound. Slamming, jacking house and techno followed for the considerable future and her output has been nothing short of staggering. Her fluid style of house music is something that has won her plaudits from the get go and fter winning the Detroit Spirit Award this year, it's easy to see her value to the Motor City sound.

She's released seven albums and has graced labels like Tresor, !K7 Records, Ausfahrt and Warp Records but over the last 12 months, she's seen something of a surge in popularity. Via Nina Kraviz and her quickly-accelerating трип imprint, K-Hand has found yet another outlet for her music and it's a fantastic fit, introducing her music to a new generation of fans.

Nina's imprint has shot to the forefront of techno and experimental music as a label that isn't bound by structure or tempo and if it fits her aesthetic and musical ideals, it gets selected. K-Hand's contribution to the трип family includes 'The Box' and 'Sound 6', both rugged, forceful and high-octane tracks that showcase two different sounds. 'The Box' is a militant, almost claustrophobic techno track that pulsates and drives with intent while 'Sound 6' is a wriggling and mischievous acid ripper, perfect for any peak-time floor.

A label that's pushing boundaries musically and an artist who's been doing that her whole life have joined together in a matrimony that sees K-Hand once again drive herself to new limits. This is why we were so excited when she got announced for Secretsundaze, we were intrigued to see how all of this translated to a live setting and we weren't disappointed, not one bit.

Her set blissfully navigated between thumping, gospel house in the form of Tommy Largo's remix of her track 'Everybody' to the acid that we've recently become accustomed to, all the way to techno that shook the towering ceilings of Village Underground. Best of all? She looked like she was having the time of her life, smiling and swaying with every kick drum and smooth transition. K-Hand is the definition of grafter and while her contribution to the scene may not be as recognised as some of her peers it doesn't make it any less valuable.

For her In Session mix, she's gifted us an hour of exclusive, unreleased and unbridled K-Hand material. The second you hit play you think you know what you're in for and while for the most part it's hammering and unrelenting, with broken-beat interludes and curveballs that come out of nowhere. If you didn't know about Kelli Hand before, then make this your introduction, it doesn't get much better.

K-Hand's 'Project 6' EP will be released on December 6 via Acacia Records, listen to snippets over on her SoundCloud, you can follow her on Facebook here and catch her playing in London at Bloc next March

Funster is Mixmag's Deputy Digital Editor, follow him on Twitter here

[Photo Credit - Main Image: TinoDesignPhotoflash]

[Photo Credit - Second Image: Lauren Murada-Good Room]