The Many Hands DJ duo (Berlin/UK) present Basement Soul 31 on Scientific Sound Asia. Scientific Sound Asia is an Asian electronic music radio station, promoter and music-news platform connecting audiences across Asia and internationally.
Many Hands is the project of musically wide-ranging DJs Jona J and Kava. Jona's real name is Jona Jefferies, and he was born in Barcelona before being raised in Spain and the UK.
He began as a DJ in the free-party and rave scene of south-west England in the early nineties. After relocating to Ibiza, he was drawn to its Balearic sound and hedonistic style, and has frequented the island as both a raver and DJ since then.
After Ibiza, Jona moved to Bass City, Bristol, where its inner-city outlook and sound-system culture informed his work over several years. Having been welcomed into Berlin's international musical community and performed at venues across the city, he returned to the United Kingdom earlier in 2020.
Jona released Nocturnal, a collaborative effort with his old friend Lewis Hopkin of Stardelta Mastering, as Sapience for Tom Middleton's Sound Of The Cosmos label. The release drew attention and radio plays from DJs including Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier.
Originally raised as a Kiwi, Kava had lived in his adopted home of Berlin for more than 10 years by 2020. His musical introduction came through Wellington's melodic music scene, with frequent doses of Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House, Techno and Drum and Bass.
In New Zealand, Kava sold vinyl records and hosted radio shows on several stations. After moving to Berlin, he became a resident on a monthly radio show with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22 fame.
The programme, Float Some and Jet Some, ran for a considerable time on the now-defunct Berlin Community Radio. It brought him wider recognition alongside performances at numerous venues across the German capital.
Jona and Kava met through a close ally near OYE Records in Berlin and immediately recognised a shared musical connection. That meeting led to Many Hands, an eclectic dance session held in a basement in the heart of Berlin, hence Basement Soul.
Jona J and Kava work across the rhythmic and harmonic cultural spectrum. Disco, Soul, Latin and Afrobeat meet MPCs and drum machines, Jamaicans in New York, West Africans with synthesisers and funky Euro-freaks, sometimes quirky and sometimes bashy but always for dancers.
The Many Hands Basement Soul episode 31 opens with Ruru.432's Coffee, a neo-soul selection from Inner Tribe Records. Sascha Funke and Niklas Wandt's Alexander Arpeggio Remix of Kreidekreis follows with Downtempo character on Multi Culti.
Loose Ends' Hangin By A String brings R&B from Parlophone UK before Cornelius Doctor and Tushen Raï's Fekete arrives via Disco Hamam. The latter introduces House Music to the sequence without losing the programme's broad rhythmic range.
Rock Master Scott And The Dynamic Three's Request Line (Dub) precedes Lady Blackbird's Bruise Remix of Collage, released through Foundation Music. That remix turns towards Drum and Bass, before Jona J's own Always For The Dancers appears.
Andy Mac's Everytime on Punch Drunk Records brings in Dubstep pressure, followed by Blaze featuring Palmer Brown's David Harness Extended Space Beat Remix of My Beat. Bakongo's 3 x 2 on Livity Sound Recordings adds a bass-club edge before Mokutron's 835 Bass Militia on SUNRETURN returns to Drum and Bass.
Krust's Masters At Work Instrumental Dub of Antigravity Love, issued by Crosstown Rebels, carries the set back into House Music. Aroha's L2K on Wairua Audio and Hashim's Al-Naafiysh (The Soul) then keep the closing stretch alert and percussive.
DJ Nature's This Side of Heaven on Golf Channel Recordings brings Deep House into view before Earth People's Dance on Pal Joey Music revisits House Music. Samii's Here To Luv Myself, Andrew Ashong and Kaidi Tatham's Sankofa Song, and Ahu's I & I provide a soulful final passage.
Many Hands Basement Soul Episode 31 11th of December 2020
Ruru.432 - Coffee
Collie Buddz & Jonny Cosmic - Cali Roots Riddim 2020 (Inst.)
Sascha Funke & Niklas Wandt - Kreidekreis (Alexander Arpeggio Remix)
Joint Force - Burntime (Iraias Ignition Mix Inst.)
Bongani Fassie - Groove is On (Nomads Tape Edit)
Loose Ends - Hangin By A String
Pellegrino & Zodyaco - Intrasatta
Loud E - Holdin On
Cornelius Doctor & Tushen Raï - Fekete
Rock Master Scott And The Dynamic Three - Request Line (Dub)
Lady Blackbird - Collage (Bruise Remix)
Jona J - Always For The Dancers
Andy Mac - Everytime
Blaze Feat. Palmer Brown - My Beat (David Harness Extended Space Beat Remix)
Bakongo - 3 x 2
Mokutron - 835 Bass Militia
Krust - Antigravity Love (Masters At Work Instrumental Dub)
Aroha - L2K
Hashim - Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)
The Stoner Prince - U.V.Dub
Dj Nature - This Side of Heaven
Samii - Here To Luv Myself
Earth People - Dance
Andrew Ashong & Kaidi Tatham - Sankofa Song
Ahu - I & I
Listen on Mixcloud here.