Disc jockey duo Many Hands present Basement Soul episode 33 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 the musically wide-ranging DJs Jona J and Kava. Jona J, whose real name is Jona Jefferies, was born in Barcelona and raised in Spain and the United Kingdom.
He began DJing in the free-party and rave scene of south-west England during the early 1990s. After relocating to Ibiza, he found inspiration in its Balearic sound and hedonistic culture, returning to the island as both a raver and DJ.
Following his time in Ibiza, Jona moved to Bristol, where its inner-city outlook and sound-system culture informed several years spent developing his craft. Having been welcomed into Berlin's international musical community and played at venues across the city, he returned to the United Kingdom in early 2020.
Jona released Nocturnal with his old friend Lewis Hopkin of Stardelta Mastering as Sapience, for Tom Middleton's Sound Of The Cosmos label. The release received radio plays from Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier.
Originally from New Zealand, Kava had lived in Berlin for more than a decade at the time of publication. His musical education began in Wellington's melodic music scene, with regular exposure to Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House Music, Techno and Drum and Bass.
In New Zealand, Kava sold vinyl records and presented shows on several radio stations. After moving to Berlin, he became a resident from the outset of a monthly radio programme with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22 fame.
The programme, Float Some and Jet Some, ran for a considerable period on Berlin Community Radio before the station closed. Alongside the show, Kava played at numerous venues across the German capital.
Jona and Kava met near OYE Records in Berlin through a close mutual contact and quickly recognised a shared musical affinity. Their meeting led to Many Hands and its eclectic Basement Soul sessions in a Berlin basement.
Jona J and Kava perform across the rhythmic and harmonic cultural spectrum. Latin Music and Afrobeat sit alongside MPCs, drum machines, Jamaicans in New York, West Africans using synthesisers and funky Euro-freaks, with the dancers always in mind.
Many Hands' Basement Soul 33 episode opens with Azimüth's Manhå before The Visioneers bring The World is Yours and its Nu-Disco character from Omniverse Records. Mark de Clive-Lowe's Niten Ichi on Mashibeats introduces Jazz, while Kiosk's Mona Call on SDBAN adds an R&B turn.
Vladamir Vasilikov's Theme of the Adults and Maynard Ferguson's Pagliera lead into Kenny Dope's The ILLOUT, a House Music selection on Dopewax. SofaTalk's Truth Theme follows on YAM Recordings with Dance Music energy, before Pasteur Lappe's Na Real Sekele Fo'ya brings the programme back to House Music through Africa Seven.
Axel Bowman's Africa Shakedown 002 and Earth Boogie's Route 10 to Innerzone make room for RAH Band's Questions (3rd Degree Mix), released through S.O.U.N.D. Recordings and shaped by Synth Pop. Gavsborg's Quality Time with Pele, Shanique, Nico & Nic on Equiknoxx Music brings in Bass / Club pressure before Sascha Funke and Niklas Wandt's Kreidekreis on Multi Culti moves towards Indie Dance.
Jura Soundsystem's Tiger Leone on Isle of Jura returns to Nu-Disco territory with a lighter, rhythm-led feel. Elizio de Buzios follows with Tamanqueiro (Selvagem Edit) on Hello Sailor Recordings, bringing Brazilian MPB into the selection before Guy Cuevas' Obsession on Trad Vibe restores the Dance Music momentum.
NuYorican Soul featuring Jocelyn Brown's It’s Alright (A. Van Helden Remix) broadens the late stretch, followed by Tom Esselle's Létet. Delfonic's All in Africa then carries the set towards its final record.
Giovanni Damico closes with Fall in the Groove, a Nu-Disco record from Star Creature Universal Vibrations. It gives the programme a final dancefloor-facing finish that suits the pair's open-format Basement Soul approach.
Many Hands Basement Soul Episode 33 22nd of January 2021
Azimüth - Manhå
The Visioneers - The World is Yours
Mark de Clive-Lowe - Niten Ichi
Kiosk - Mona Call
Vladamir Vasilikov - Theme of the Adults
Maynard Ferguson - Pagliera
Kenny Dope - The ILLOUT
Sofatalk - Truth Theme
Pasteur Lappe - Na Real Sekele Fo’ya
Axel Bowman - Africa Shakedown 002
Earth Boogie - Route 10 to Innerzone
Rah Band - Questions (3rd Degree Mix)
Gavsborg - Quality Time with Pele, Shanique, Nico & Nic
Sascha Funke & Niklas Wandt - Kreidekreis
Jura Soundsystem - Tiger Leone
Elizio de Buzios - Tamanqueiro (Selvagem Edit)
Guy Cuevas - Obsession
NuYorican Soul ft. Jocelyn Brown - It’s Alright (A. Van Helden Remix)
Tom Esselle - Létet
Delfonic - All in Africa
Giovanni Damico - Fall in the Groove
Listen on Mixcloud here.