Many Hands present Basement Soul Show 19 on Scientific Sound Asia, a recording originally aired on Friday 29 May 2020. Scientific Sound Asia is an English-language electronic music radio station, DJ agency, promoter and music-news platform connecting audiences across Asia and internationally.
Many Hands is the creative project of DJs Jona J and Kava, whose work draws on diverse musical influences. Jona, born Jona Jefferies in Barcelona and raised between Spain and the UK, started DJing amid the free-party and rave scene of south-west England in the early 1990s.
After relocating to Ibiza, Jona was influenced by the island's Balearic sound and hedonistic energy, bringing him back over the years. He later moved to Bristol, where he embraced the city's distinctive sound-system culture.
Jona gained recognition across Berlin's music scene, appearing at many of the city's leading venues before returning to the UK in early 2020. His track Nocturnal, made with longtime friend Lewis Hopkin of Stardelta Mastering as Sapience, appeared on Tom Middleton's Sound Of The Cosmos label and received radio support from Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier.
Originally from New Zealand, Kava has lived in Berlin for more than ten years. His DJ journey began in Wellington, where he encountered Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House, Techno and Drum and Bass.
Kava played a vital role in New Zealand's vinyl culture and hosted numerous radio shows, sharing his musical knowledge with listeners nationwide. After moving to Berlin, he joined the local scene and became a resident on Float Some and Jet Some, a monthly programme co-hosted with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22.
The show aired on the now-defunct Berlin Community Radio, helping Kava establish a loyal following. His work and regular appearances at Berlin venues strengthened his place within the city's electronic music scene.
The two DJs met through a mutual friend at Berlin's OYE Records and recognised an immediate creative connection. That meeting led to Many Hands and their eclectic Basement Soul sessions within Berlin's underground scene.
Jona J and Kava's sets cover a broad musical landscape, joining Disco, Soul, Latin music and Afrobeat with MPCs, drum machines, New York Jamaican influences and West African synthesiser rhythms. Their sound can move from glitchy passages to more intense moments, while keeping dancers at the centre of an unpredictable but cohesive selection.
Many Hands' Basement Soul Show 19 episode opens with The Kiwi Animal's Man And Woman Have Balance on Strangelove Music, a folk recording followed by Isayahh Wuddha's experimental Shipping Love Beat on WotNot Music. Mike Zombie's Started From The Bottom, released through DISCUSSION, brings Hip-hop & Rap into the early run.
Big Boi, Andre3000 and Raekwon's Royal Flush on LaFace Records develops the Rap/Hip Hop thread before Dam-Funk's Forever arrives via Scion Audio/Visual. The latter introduces Funk to the programme, while D.unk's mK1 and the unknown artist's Castle On The Moon keep the selection open-ended.
STL's Juggle It on Something Records settles into Deep House, then Cantoma's Into Daylight on Highwood Recordings eases the pace with Downtempo. DJ Nature's Tacky Stuff, released by Golf Channel Recordings, returns the set to Deep House after Dilla's Players (DJ A1 housin edit) and Beatnick's Green Is The Colour Of Hope featuring Fatima.
Sade's Give It Up (Vin Sol & MatriXXXmann Edit) on STAMP leads into K15's Insecurities, a House Music cut from Wild Oats. Pedestrian's Kalakuta vs Zombie (PEDit) precedes Mali-I's Fire & Ice on Rhythm Section International, bringing the deeper house-focused middle section towards its final stretch.
Tapes Meets The Drums Of Wareika Hill Sounds bring Tribal percussion through Datura Mystic on Honest Jon's Records, before Mad Professor's Rebels Gathering on Ariwa moves into Bass / Club territory. Those selections set up the closing sequence without losing the programme's interest in rhythmic contrast.
Beam Up's Mother, featuring Katya Tasheva and released by Basscomesaveme, turns towards Dub, while Yvonne Archer's Ain't Nobody (Jura Soundsystem Dub) on Isle Of Jura brings in Lovers Rock. Inner Life and Jocelyn Brown close with Moment Of My Life on Salsoul Records, ending the show in Soul after its shifts through house, bass and dub material.
Many Hands Basement Soul Show 19 29th of May 2020
The Kiwi Animal - Man And Woman Have Balance
Isayahh Wuddha - Shipping Love Beat
Mike Zombie - Started From The Bottom
Inkswell - Spread Love Feat. Tableek
Win Win - Jyeah
Big Boi ft. Andre3000 & Raekwon - Royal Flush
D.unk - mK1
Dam Funk - Forever
Unknown Artist - Castle On The Moon
Dilla - Players (DJ A1 housin edit)
Beatnick - Green Is The Colour Of Hope Feat. Fatima
STL - Juggle It
Cantoma - Into Daylight
DJ Nature - Tacky Stuff
First Touch - Star Dust
Sade - Give It Up (Vin Sol & MatriXXXmann Edit)
K15 - Insecurities
Pedestrian - Kalakuta vs Zombie (PEDit)
Mali-i - Fire And Ice
Deadbeat - Hold On Strong Feat. St. Paul Hilaire
Tapes Meets The Drums Of Wareika Hill Sounds - Datura Mystic
Mad Professor - Rebels Gathering
Beam Up - Mother Feat. Katya Tasheva
Yvonne Archer - Aint Nobody (Jura Soundsystem Dub)
Inner Life - Moment Of My Life Feat. Jocelyn Brown
Listen on Mixcloud here.