DeepDig: Handson Family (4 Hour Set) // Vanessa Freeman

DeepDig welcomes Handson Family back to Grow, joined by Vanessa Freeman for an extended session through soul, jazz, broken beat and house.

South London husband-and-wife duo Chris and Cyndi have spent more than 20 years working together as Handson Family. DJs, selectors, promoters and tastemakers, they’ve always put Black British music and club culture at the centre of what they do, creating inclusive events and spaces with a proper DIY approach. Their sets are wide-ranging but always dancefloor focused, moving through soul, jazz, broken beat, funk and house without losing the thread.

They’ve also become familiar faces at We Out Here, both playing at the festival and hosting and MCing the Main Stage for a full day.

Joining them is Vanessa Freeman, a vocalist, songwriter, performer and selector whose career runs deep through UK soul, jazz and broken beat. Her work includes collaborations with Phil Asher, Mike Patto, Reel People and Kyoto Jazz Massive, and she’s shared stages with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, 4hero, Bugz in the Attic, Dego, Mr Scruff, Kaidi Tatham and Nathan Haines.

Vanessa is also part of Eves’ Drop Collective, a group of women DJs and performers from across the UK supporting and amplifying female voices behind the decks and on the mic.

We’re really honoured to have people like this at Grow, who have contributed so much to the scene and community over the years and are still very much part of it now. An extended DeepDig session rooted in soul, jazz, broken beat and house.