Kelli Hand, the house and techno music legend better known as K-Hand, has reportedly died at the age of 45. 

As reported by MixMag, the news of Hand’s passing has been confirmed by a number of her close friends via social media. Her cause of death has not yet been revealed.

The Detroit-based DJ and producer was a pioneer of the dance music industry, with a career spanning more than three decades.

After founding Acacia Records, she went on to release several of her own albums and EPs, as well as music from producers like Sean Deason, Claude Young, Wamdue Kids and Hiroshi Morohashi.

In 2017, Hand was officially recognised as “The First Lady of Detroit” for her contributions to electronic music when the city of Detroit awarded her its Testimonial Resolution certificate.

According to MixMag, the award celebrated her significant “skills within a male-dominated industry”.

Hand was one of the first women to release house and techno during the 1990s and was also the first Detroit producer to release music on Warp Records back in 1994.

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On top of that, she was the first artist to release an album on Germany’s Studio !K7 in 1995.

As a DJ, Hand regularly performed around the world and appeared at festivals like Movement Detroit, as well as clubs including Paris’ Concrete and Rex, Berlin’s Berghain and Tresor, New York’s Nowadays and Good Room, London’s Village Underground and Melbourne’s Revolver.

She was still performing up until her death and was scheduled to play at London’s Junction 2 at the end of this month.

For more on this topic, check out the Electronic Observer.

Check out some of the tributes to K-Hand following her death:


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