The Many Hands DJ duo shared the track list for Basement Soul episode 23 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 is the intellectual property of wide-ranging, music-focused DJs Jona J and Kava. Jona Jefferies was born in Barcelona and raised in Spain and the UK, where he began DJing amid the free-party and rave scene of south-west England in the early 1990s.
After relocating to Ibiza, Jona was drawn to the island's Balearic sound and hedonistic style, returning both as a raver and DJ. He later moved to Bristol, where its inner-city outlook and sound-system culture informed several years spent developing his craft.
Jona was welcomed into Berlin's international musical community and played at venues across the city before returning to the United Kingdom in early 2020. His release Nocturnal, made with Stardelta Mastering's Lewis Hopkin as Sapience for Tom Middleton's Sound Of The Cosmos label, received radio plays from Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier.
Raised in New Zealand, Kava had lived in Berlin for more than ten years at the time of publication. His musical grounding came through Wellington's melodic music scene, with frequent exposure to Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House, Techno and Drum and Bass.
In New Zealand, Kava sold vinyl records and presented radio shows on several stations. After moving to Berlin, he became a resident of the now-defunct monthly Float Some and Jet Some radio show with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22 on the former Berlin Community Radio, while also playing venues across the German capital.
Jona and Kava met through a close ally near OYE Records in Berlin and immediately recognised a productive musical partnership. That meeting led to Many Hands, an eclectic basement session in the heart of Berlin that gave Basement Soul its name.
Jona J and Kava work across a rhythmic and harmonic cultural spectrum. Disco, Soul, Latin music and Afrobeat sit alongside MPCs, drum machines, Jamaican sounds from New York, West African synthesiser music and eccentric European funk, with the dancers always in view.
Many Hands' Basement Soul episode 23 opens with Duval Timothy's Slave Feat. Twin Shadow before Sault's Alternative cut Stop Dem on Forever Living Originals. AD90 follows on ADI DICK MUSIC with the Trap selections Take You There and Until The Sun Comes Up.
Histoires de filles brings Indie Dance through House Tube on Born Bad Records, followed by Dennis Brown's Get High On Your Love and Jerry Paper's Rock track Cholla on Stones Throw Records. Grace Jones contributes the R&B of Feel Up on Island Records, while Dr. Mary Sullivan Bain's Nu-Disco track Do You Know Black History appears via Backatcha Records.
Gallo's Downtempo piece Odori on Hell Yeah Recordings makes space for Kebabi Man's Real Juice. Quiroga's Indie Dance selection Viaggio a Tulum, also on Hell Yeah Recordings, precedes La Silhouette's Freaks Don’t Dome For Free and Frank M's What Jah Give.
Tumblack's Africain Invocation arrives from Not On Label (Tumblack), followed by Dego's Late Night Fright and Bloodfire's Because I’m Black on Twinight. Holloway supplies UK Garage with Echo Tone on INSTINCT (UK), before Al Wootton's Techno (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic) track A Clean Heart on TRULE.
Patrick Gibin, Mark De CliveLowe and Javonette then meet on Cloud Nine, before Eddie Kendricks brings the 12-inch mix of Date With The Rain. Chaos In The CBD's Trust Is Key (Many Hands Longtro Edit) sets up Delfonic's Disco track Music Is Love on Razor-N-Tape.
Peven Everett's Archangel On Earth: Gabriel Respect To Fela carries the programme into its final stretch. Roberta Flack closes the selection with Only Heaven Can Wait Feat. Donny Hathaway, giving the set a vocal finish after its shifts between electronic, rhythmic and soul-rooted material.
Many Hands Basement Soul Show 23 24th of July 2020
Duval Timothy - Slave Feat. Twin Shadow
Sault - Stop Dem
AD90 - Take You There
AD90 - Until The Sun Comes Up
Histories de Filles - House Tube
Dennis Brown - Get High On Your Love
Jerry Paper - Cholla
Grace Jones - Feel Up
Dr. Mary Sullivan Bane - Do You Know Black History
Gallo - Odori
Kebabi Man - Real Juice
Quiroga - Viaggio a Tulum
La Silhouette - Freaks Don’t Dome For Free
Frank M - What Jah Give
Tumblack - Invocation
Dego - Late Night Fright
Bloodfire - Because I’m Black
Holloway - Echo Tone
Al Wooton - A Clean Heart
Patrick Gibin, Mark De CliveLowe, Javonette - Cloud Nine
Eddie Kendricks - Date With The Rain (12inch Mix)
Chaos In The CBD - Trust Is Key (Many Hands Longtro Edit)
Delfonic - Music Is Love
Peven Everett - Archangel On Earth: Gabriel Respect To Fela
Roberta Flack - Only Heaven Can Wait Feat. Donny Hathaway
Listen on Mixcloud here.