Detroit History Pt. 1

Detroit - History, Pt. 1 represents somewhat of a career highlight for Detroit's K. Hand, and even if it's not her best album, it should surely stand as one of her most remembered. First of all, over a decade into her production career at the time of this album's release in 2001, Hand should be no stranger to the techno community; though her name doesn't hold the same status as, say, Carl Craig in Detroit techno folklore, she released a wealth of music throughout the 1990s. So even though Detroit - History, Pt. 1 features some exhilarating dancefloor tracks tailor-made for the DJs, calling it her best effort yet is bold, particularly given the album's uncompromising dancefloor nature. However, if it's not her best album yet, it's definitely a remarkable step forward for Hand. Her music has never sounded this potent and self-assured. Without even bothering to cater to the "listening" techno crowd with intros, outros, and song structures, Hand goes straight for the dancefloor, and rarely does she misfire. Secondly, there's the whole "Detroit - History" concept to think about. By using the inaugural Detroit Electronic Music Festival as a theme for her song titles, and also including photos and a short written statement, Hand obviously isn't afraid to advocate her home turf with pride. While that's no doubt noble, particularly considering Detroit's long-running relationship with techno, the concept unfortunately appears a bit extraneous since she makes seemingly no effort to integrate this concept into her music outside of slapping on some thematic song titles, some nice packaging, and featuring a snippet of crowd noise -- cynics will find this aspect of the album reeking of exploitation. Still, the album's concept is undeniably engaging, particularly for the Detroit cultists out there, and, above all, this is her most surefire dancefloor work yet. ~ Jason Birchmeier|