Many Hands presented their second Basement Soul show on Scientific Sound Asia in October 2019, with the musical duo Many Hands bringing Jona J and Kava together. Scientific Sound Asia is an Asian electronic music radio station, promoter, DJ agency and music-news platform connecting audiences across Asia and internationally.
Many Hands was created by the music enthusiasts and DJs Jona J and Kava. Jona Jefferies, who was born in Barcelona and grew up in Spain and the UK, began his DJ career in the DIY free-party and rave scene of the 1990s in South West England.
Jona subsequently relocated to Ibiza, where its Balearic music and carefree lifestyle prompted him to make regular visits. Following his time in Ibiza, he settled in Bristol, known as Bass City, where he lived for an extended period and was influenced by its urban character and Sound System Culture.
At the time of publication, Jona was based in Berlin, participating in an international music collective and playing at venues across the city. One of his notable releases, Nocturnal, was a collaboration with his longtime friend Lewis Hopkin of Stardelta Mastering under the Sapience alias; it received airplay from Gilles Peterson, Mala and Laurent Garnier, while Jona had performed mainly in Europe as well as at several venues in Asia.
Kava, a DJ originally from New Zealand, had been living in Berlin for a decade at the time of publication. He started his DJ career in Wellington's music scene, where he encountered Soul, Bashment, Hip Hop, Disco, House, Techno and Drum and Bass, distributed records nationwide and hosted shows on several local radio stations.
His long-standing dedication to music led him from local raves and basement clubs to national music festivals, RBMA in São Paulo and venues across the Asia-Pacific region. With a deep understanding of music, his selection and mixing have supported acts including Fat Freddys Drop, Dave Clark and DJ Marky.
After relocating to Berlin, Kava hosted the monthly radio programme Float Some, Jet Some with Rodi Kirk of Scratch 22 for several years on the now-closed Berlin Community Radio. He also performed as a DJ at venues across the city.
After meeting through a mutual friend outside OYE Records in Berlin, Jona and Kava discovered their shared musical background and began DJing together. Their collaboration became Many Hands, a Berlin basement event combining dance, relaxation and healing.
Jona J and Kava explore rhythmic and harmonic cultures through Disco, Soul, Latin and Afrobeat, alongside modern music technology including MPCs and drum machines. Their music combines Jamaican sounds from New York, West African rhythms with synthesisers and funky European styles, sometimes eccentric or bold but directed towards the dance floor.
Many Hands Basement Soul 2 on Scientific Sound Asia opens with Mark De Clive-Lowe's Memories Of Nanzenji on Mashibeats and 12 Senses' Movement on Creak Inc. Records. Both establish a Jazz Music foundation before Fourth Kind's future-jazz The Star Of The Story on Omniverse broadens the opening palette.
Swing Ting's Can't Wait, released through Swing Ting, brings R&B into the sequence. Junior Byron's Trying To Hold On on Cultures Of Soul Records then introduces an Electronica shade.
Ed Longo and The Applied Arts Ensemble's A Palm In The Closet on Early Sounds Recordings moves the set towards House Music. Nebraska's Usin' Me (DJ Nature Remix) follows on Razor-N-Tape Reserve, keeping the rhythm-focused approach in place.
The Revenge Edit of Hot Chocolate's Heavens On The Back Seat Of My Cadillac gives way to DEA's Canine Carnaval, featuring Ric Picollo and released through Record Union. That latter record brings Nu-Disco into the programme without breaking its eclectic selection.
Neue Grafik's Bed Stuy's Mood on CoOp Presents introduces UK Garage near the later stages of the show. K15 and SMBD follow with Thursday on Apron Records, returning the mix to house-led movement.
The Colours That Rise bring the set back to jazz through Brain on Breaker Breaker. Celso Rubinstein closes with Enquanto Houver on Notes On A Journey, ending the selection with another Nu-Disco touch.
Many Hands Basement Soul 2.
Mark De Clive-Lowe - Memories Of Nanzenji
12 Senses - Movement
Fourth Kind - The Star Of The Story
Tenderlonious - Freaky (Interlude)
Swing Ting - Can't Wait
Sugar Minot & Dennis Brown - Brothers Together
Outra - Emergencia
Junior Brown - Trying To Hold On
Ed Longo & The Applied Arts Ensemble - A Palm In The Closet
Simone - Mebsouta
Benedek & Noble - Profesora
Nebraska - Usin' Me (DJ Nature Remix)
Nebraska - A. T. T .a. T. C. O 03
Hot Chocolate - Heavens On The Back Seat Of My Cadilac (The Revenge Edit)
Dea - Canine Carnival Feat Ric Picollo
Sampology, Megan Chritensen & Sam Stosuur - Ricardo
Tony Allen & Jeff Mills - Locked & Loaded
DJ Sotofet & Maimouna Haugen Feat Gilb'r, Haugen Inna & Stietti-ana - Cest L'aventure
The Astral Walkers - Don't Fear The Sound (Full Expansion)
Waajeed - Things About You Feat Asante & Zo
Neue Grafik - Bed Stuy's Mood
K15 & Smbd - Thursday
The Colours That Rise - Brain
Celso Rubestein - Encuanto Houver
Listen on Mixcloud here.