The DJ duo Many Hands (Berlin/UK) present Basement Soul Show 15 on Scientific Sound Asia. 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. Jona Jefferies, born in Barcelona and raised between Spain and the UK, began his DJ career in the burgeoning free-party and rave scene of south-west England in the early nineties.
After relocating to Ibiza, he was captivated by its Balearic sound and hedonistic atmosphere, returning often as both a partygoer and performer. He subsequently moved to Bristol, where he embraced the city’s urban culture and sound system influences.
Jona has become well known across Berlin’s music scene, performing at venues throughout the city. At the time of this broadcast, he had returned to the UK, while his release Nocturnal, made with Lewis Hopkin of Stardelta Mastering as Sapience, had appeared on Tom Middleton’s Sound Of The Cosmos label and received airplay from Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier.
Originally from New Zealand, Kava has made Berlin his home for the past decade. His DJ journey began in Wellington, where he encountered Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House, Techno and Drum and Bass.
In New Zealand, Kava was instrumental in promoting vinyl culture and hosted several radio shows. After moving to Berlin, he became a resident on Float Some and Jet Some, a monthly programme co-hosted with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22 fame on the now-defunct Berlin Community Radio.
His time on air and live performances across Berlin established his reputation in the music community. Jona J and Kava connected through a mutual friend near Berlin’s OYE Records, recognising a shared musical vision that led to the formation of Many Hands and their Berlin dance session, Basement Soul.
Jona J and Kava’s sets cover a broad musical spectrum, combining Disco, Soul, Latin and Afrobeat with MPCs, drum machines, New York Jamaican influences and West African synth sounds. Their performances can be quirky or intense, while remaining focused on the dance floor.
Show 15 brings together the Jazz, Hip Hop, Dub, Reggae and House elements noted in the original show description, including the soulful notes of Emma-Jean Thackray’s II Open and Madlib’s Top Secret Banger 02-22. Temu’s groove and The Congos’ rhythm sit alongside deep electronic pulses and disco beats from Floating Points and Jennifer Vanilla.
Many Hands Basement Soul Show 15 episode opens with Madlib’s Top Secret Banger 02-22, followed by Isayahh Wudda’s Elephant Wave Radio Edit on WotNot Music and Guru’s Jazzmatazz featuring N’Dea Davenport on Trust Me. Those opening selections place Hip Hop beside Electronica before Temu’s Everybody Wants To Rule The World brings an R&B edge.
Ruf Dug’s Mangrove Dub on Music For Dreams gives way to Caliban’s Digital Reggae remix on Music From Memory, bringing Reggae into the programme. Dennis Bovell and the 4th Street Orchestra’s Jah Chase Dem, Jean and Trevor’s Back Together Again, and The Congos’ 12-inch version of Congo Man extend that rhythmic section.
Scan Man’s Arabian on Soundway Records resets the pace before Floating Points’ Love Me Like This Nonsense Dub on Modular Recordings and Jeffery Statten’s Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now. Parkway’s Secret To Success Dub and Zoheb Hassan’s Kaam in its Running Hot Edit keep the set moving through a varied middle passage.
Chaos in the CBD featuring Nathan Haines and Dave Koor bring House Music into focus with Emotional Intelligence on !K7 Records. Vitruvian Man’s Wheel Up, Iz and Diz’s Herbert special mix of Mouth, and TOYE002’s Flying Rejam? follow with contrasting club-focused selections.
Turbojazz’s In Search… on Boogie Cafe Records introduces Deep House, before Klein Zage’s Local Artist Cult Mix of She’s Out There and Jennifer Vanilla’s We Erase The Time on Beats In Space. Glockta’s North East Abode then adds another late-set turn before the closing records.
Marcus Intalex and S.T. Files’ Taking Over Me on Hospital Records brings Drum and Bass into the final stretch. JS closes the selection with Summer Bumps ssssssmonkin...it and Summer Bumps Original, leaving the programme in its open-ended, record-led spirit.
Many Hands Basement Soul Show 15 3rd of April 2020
Emma-Jean -Thackray II Open
Madlib - Top Secret Banger 02-22
Isayahh Wudda - Elephant Wave (Radio Edit)
Guru's Jazzmatazz feat N’Dea Davenport - Trust Me
Temu - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Ruf Dug - Mangrove Dub
Caliban - Digital Reggae (remix)
Dennis Bovell & the 4th Street Orchestra - Jah Chase Dem
Jean & Trevor - Back Together Again
The Congos - Congo Man (12inch version)
Scan Man - Arabian
Floating Points - Love Me Like This (Nonsense Dub)
Jeffery Statten - Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now
Parkway - Secret To Success Dub
Zoheb Hassan - Kaam (Running Hot Edit)
Chaos in the CBD feat. Nathan Haines & Dave Koor - Emotional Intelligence
Vitruvian Man - Wheel Up
Iz & Diz - Mouth (Herbert special mix)
TOYE002 - Flying Rejam?
Turbo Jazz - In Search…
Klein Zage - She’s Out There (Local Artist Cult Mix)
Jennifer Vanilla - We Erase The Time
Glockta - North East Abode
Marcus Intallex & S.T.Files - Taking Over Me
JS - Summer Bumps ssssssmonkin...it
JS - Summer Bumps Original
Listen On Mixcloud Here.