Many Hands, the Berlin/UK DJ duo of Jona J and Kava, present the track list for Basement Soul show 22 on Scientific Sound Asia. Scientific Sound Asia is an English-language electronic music radio station, promoter and music-news platform connecting audiences across Asia and internationally.
Many Hands, a disc jockey duo, is the project of the musically absorbed and wide-ranging DJs Jona J and Kava. Jona Jefferies, known as Jona J, was born in Barcelona and raised in Spain and the UK, where he began DJing in the free-party and rave scene of south-west England during the early 1990s.
After relocating to Ibiza, Jona became drawn to the island's Balearic sound and hedonistic style, and has returned there as both a raver and DJ. He later moved to Bristol, where its inner-city outlook and sound-system culture shaped several years spent developing his craft.
Jona was well received within Berlin's growing international musical community and played at venues across the city before returning to the United Kingdom earlier in 2020. His release Nocturnal, made with his longstanding friend Lewis Hopkin of Stardelta Mastering as Sapience, appeared on Tom Middleton's Sound Of The Cosmos label.
The Sapience release received radio plays from Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier. Kava, who was originally raised in New Zealand, had lived in Berlin for more than ten years at the time of publication.
Kava's musical education began in Wellington's melodic music scene, with regular exposure to Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House, Techno and Drum n Bass. In New Zealand, he sold vinyl records and presented radio shows on several stations.
After moving to Berlin, Kava was a resident on the now-defunct monthly radio show Float Some and Jet Some with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22 fame on the former Berlin Community Radio. He also played at numerous venues across the German capital.
Jona and Kava met through a close ally near OYE Records in Berlin, and quickly recognised a musical affinity. That meeting led to Many Hands, an eclectic dance, defragmenting and alleviating music session held in a Berlin basement, hence the name Basement Soul.
Jona J and Kava work across a rhythmic and harmonic cultural spectrum. Their selections bring Disco, Soul, Latin and Afrobeat alongside MPCs, drum machines, Jamaicans in New York, West Africans with synthesisers and funky Euro-freaks.
The approach can be quirky or bashy, but it is made for dancers. That breadth informs the programme's movement from leftfield selections to club-ready rhythm sections.
Many Hands' Basement Soul show 22 episode opens with Don Blackman's Holding You, Loving You on Late Night Tales, bringing a Nu-Disco feel to the first selection. Mendes & Alçada's Coaster (Idjut Boys Version 2) follows before Michele Mercure's Musst March on Rvng Intl. introduces a minimal turn.
Sault's Hard Life on Forever Living Originals brings an Alternative edge, while Marc Mac's Silence Is No Option/Speak Louder on Omniverse Records adds Trap. MC Solaar's Nouveau Western on Universal Music Distribution Deal and Colonel Red & Inkswel's Its Glory Us on Inner Tribe then place Hip Hop at the centre of the set.
After Levelz's Reach For The Sky and Admin's Walk With Him (Edit), Max Essa's The Cowboy Rembrandt on Jansen Jardin brings dub disco into view. Soul Connection's In And Out Of Love and Blair French's Sandbar Caviar prepare the way for Thundercat's Innerstellar Love on Brainfeeder and Dego's My Standards Are (Not) Too High on P-Vine Records.
67100's Morning on Dope Tones Records gives the programme a firmer House Music foundation, before Nu Design's So Long (Instrumental) revisits the disco-leaning material. Red Rack'em's Peace on Disco Banger carries an Electronic : Disco character, and Mr. Fingers' Stars on Alleviated Records keeps the house momentum intact.
Aron Ottignon featuring ÌFÉ's Ore Yèyé O (Julian Dyne Remix) on George V Records shifts the emphasis towards Organic House. Ray Lema's N'Dila on Mango adds an African dimension before Makadem's Salaam on Highlife brings in Afro House.
The closing run turns to Drum and Bass through Coco Bryce's Breach The Peace on MYOR Music and Oblivion's Lush on Basement Records. ATOS's Roses completes the selection with a final disco-focused touch.
Many Hands Basement Soul Show 22 10th of July 2020
Don Blackman - Holding You, Loving You
Mendes & Alçada - Coaster (Idjut Boys Version 2)
Michele Mercure - Musst March
Sault - Hard Life
Marc Mac - Silence Is No Option/Speak Louder
MC Solaar - Nouveau Western
Colonel Red & Inkswel - Its Glory Us
Levelz - Reach For The Sky
Admin - Walk With Him (Edit)
Max Essa - The Cowboy Rembrandt
Soul Connection - In And Out Of Love
Blair French - Sandbar Caviar
Thudercat - Innerstellar Love
Dego - My Standards Are (Not) Too High
67100 - Morning
Nu Design - So Long (Instrumental)
Red Rack'em - Peace
Mr Fingers - Stars
Aron Ottignon feat. ÌFÉ - Ore Yèyé O (Julian Dyne Remix)
Ray Lema - N'Dila
Makadem - Salaam
Coco Bryce - Breach The Peace
Oblivion - Lush
ATOS - Roses
Listen on Mixcloud here.