detroit's omar-s emerged in 2003 as an underground techno/house maverick, releasing rigidly funky productions, made with analog gear, on his fxhe label. though his 12" releases were pressed in small quantities with handwritten labels, it wasn't long before his releases reached specialty shops in the U.K. and germany. though he was building a cult following and was often placed by writers within the same context as fellow detroit natives moodymann and theo parrish, it wasn't until recently that he truly strayed from his low-profile, self-sufficient mode.