SHANTI CELESTE レコード& CD

Review: For the second installment in Dekmantel's ongoing 10th anniversary series, the well-regarded Dutch label has recruited two notable talents: man-for-all-seasons Call Super, and fast-rising producer Shanti Celeste. Call Super's A-side excursion is a pleasingly tactile, spacey and rubbery affair, with vintage bleeps and Motor City electronics crowding around a drum machine groove that sits somewhere between body popping electro and loved-up deep house. Shanti Celeste takes a different approach on the flip, fusing her usual mood-enhancing synthesizer chords and melodies with a raw, energy-filled rhythm track that owes more to late night techno than the sumptuous deep house of her early productions.

Review: Bristol producer Shanti Celeste has been making all the right moves of late, impressively developing her melodious and atmospheric take on electronic music via releases on Broadwalk, Secretsundaze, the BRSTL label she co-founded, and Washington DC's Future Times. Having contributed a killer chunk of tropical electro to the latter label's recent Vibe 3 compilation, she returns to the warm bosom of Max D and Mike Petillo's imprint for a full EP. It's predictably luscious and inviting, with "Being" showcasing a killer fusion of her usual urgent, undulating deep house grooves and the kind of vibrant synthesizer refrains that are so typical of the label's output (these come to the fore on the flipside ambient version). Also impressive is "Good Spirits", a melodious ambient-electro offering that rewards repeat listens.

Review: 2015 is shaping up to be a big year for Shanti Celeste, the unofficial first lady of Bristol house music. The Chilean-born producer has been in fine form of late, and here delivers another killer 12", this time for Secretsundaze. There's naturally much to admire throughout, from the techno-tempo, synthesizer-heavy deep house shuffle of "Golden" - also available in an extra-percussive, extra-eccentric Dub remix form on the flip - to the bumpin' beats, ethereal pads and dreamy freestyle vocals of "Nu4him". Arguably best of all, though, is "Sun", whose inherent dreaminess is countered by punchy drum machine hits and twisted, alien electronics.

Review: Bristol selector and producer Shanti Celeste is back on her own Brstl imprint - which she runs out of the Idle Hands shop located on Gloucester Road - with a deep yet jacking two-tracker in the label's familiar style. Just as a side note, the Brstl label has been responsible for bringing forth some of the most interesting artists to come out of the city over the last three years...names like Rhythmic Theory or October ring any bells!? In any case, "Moods" is a grizzly house nugget complete with piano keys and a jazzy kinda feel, while "Lumi" is darker, more lamenting and worthy of a dimly-lit dancefloor. Top!

Review: Born in Chile, but schooled in the art of production in Bristol, Shanti Celeste has been turning faces with her fine output to date for local labels Idle Hands and BRSTL and superb selecting skills (do check her recent RA podcast for evidence of this!) A third EP from Celeste arrives via Julio Bashmore's Broadwalk label, and finds the producer in very confident mood across its three tracks. "Universal Glow" is an obvious candidate for lead track, with luxuriant Motor City-indebted synths spread thickly and invitingly over a snapping rhythm that has subtle hints of electro, and this mood seeps into the tightly wound "Felix" too. Our pick is the final track "Porto Seguro" however, as it shows Celeste isn't afraid to head in a more abstract direction.

Review: Following up her impressive debut for the BRSTL imprint, Shanti Celeste brings her bittersweet brand of deep house to Idle Hands with another two tracks of assured grooves. "Days Like This" features Celeste's own wistful croon over lingering chords and a sharp beat, meeting somewhere between warm up contemplation and peak time bump. "On My Own' also features fine snippets of vocal, but this time the tone is energized towards a swinging set of drums and cheeky square wave bass that makes for a sassier cousin to the A side's introspection. That said, a similar strain of blue-hued melodics hang over the track, adding a distinctive emotional weight to the release that is all her own.

Review: Having explored the deeper, somewhat more introspective house and techno sounds of the likes of Outboxx, Jay L, Rhythmic Theory and October & Borai across its discography, the BRSTL imprint delivers its most feel good release yet in the form of local DJ Shanti Celeste's production debut Need Your Lovin (Baby). The title track manages to tap into the current zeitgeist for house music in the UK without ever straying into the soulless territory of many of her contemporaries, thanks to its gently uplifting vocal and key melody. On the flip, "Result" offers something for the later hours, a stark piece of Bristol techno with heavy kicks and filtered chord sequence that nevertheless retains her lighter touch.

Review: The third and final installment of Future Times' Vibe 3 compilation is something of an all-star, "all killer, no filler" affair. While many will naturally be drawn to the contributions of Max D (under his percussion-heavy Dolo alias) and longtime family member Steve Summers, it's actually the label newcomers and lesser-known names that make the greatest impression. Chief amongst these is Bristol-based producer Shanti Celeste, whose "Strung Up" - a wonderful concoction featuring beat-box electro rhythms, melancholic chords and tear-jerking melodies - is simply sublime. There's also a sneaky surprise on the flip, where Mood Hut man Jack J dons the C'Est Life alias to deliver another chunk of effortlessly groovy, loose and languid deep house jazziness.

Review: In recent times, Bristol's Shanti Celeste has proved more than adept at blending tough, body-popping electro beats with picturesque electronics and luscious, eyes-closed melodies. She's at it again here, following up two excellent outings on Future Times with the brilliant "SSS". Expect just the right blend of tactile, eyes-closed melodiousness, snappy drum machine work, and a fluid bassline that subtly doffs a cap to Syclops' "Where's Jason's K". Apron boss Funkineven offers his own interpretation on the flip, bringing it closer to early 808 State territory, while adding some neat, boogie-influenced synth touches and saucer-eyed piano flourishes.

Review: Given that their friendship began when both were up-and-coming DJs making their way on the Bristol scene, this first collaborative 12" from Shanti Celeste and Hodge has been a long time coming. It's a reflection of how far they've come that the EP is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about of 2019 so far. Opener "Alula" is particularly potent, with weighty tropical drums and sparse, humid melodies rising above soundsystem-bordering sub-bass. Elsewhere, there's an endearingly dreamy, loved-up and saucer-eyed feel to the dream house/broken techno fusion of "Pips" (listen out for some of Shanti's trademark vocalizations) while "Soba" is a little more hectic, off-kilter and percussive whilst still retaining the same sense of tropical heat that permeates the entire EP.

Review: Needs' commendable charity drive continues to bring forth the goods, both in terms of good causes and world class club music. Rallying round in support of World Mental Health Day 2020, Shanti Celeste kicks the record off in style with the rapid fire, deep-diving workout 'Fantasma'. OCB keeps the pressure up with the psychotropic techno of 'RS3', while Michelle works up some delightfully freaky synths on playful jacker 'Aesthetic'. Bobby's 'Free Your Mind' is a 90s-tinged, full fat techno production indebted to Detroit, Peder Mannerfelt keeps things stripped and raw on 'Our Levels' and Yu Su weaves a beautiful tapestry of interweaving rhythms on 'Brittney'. Adam Pits' trippy techno sounds resplendent on 'Wind Tunnel' and DJ Sports completes the set with the inventive, dembow slanted funk of 'Needs Dub'.

Review: To complement Objekt's masterful 36-track session for their irregular Kern mix series, Tresor have put out two self-explanatory 12" samplers. Kern Vol. 3: The Exclusives sees contributions from accomplished electro technicians Clatterbox and Polzer as well as Bristol's rising Shanti Celeste and Via App of 1080p fame. "Aspect Ratio" from Clatterbox and Celeste's understandably incandescent "Lights" both feature in a movement on the mix that is a real highlight of Kern Vol. 3, but DJs will be happy both have been pressed her for full club play. On the B-side, the swift and snappy metallic tunnelling of Polzer's "Static Rectifier" could be mistaken for an angry DJ Stingray, whilst Via App's "From Across The Room (Edit)" is a more playful, if pensive affair.

Review: Hessle Audio's recent moves have resulted in a new release from longtime DJ, Peach Discs founder and regular festival staple - Shanti Celeste. 'Cutie' is as kitsch as they come, blending snappy kicks and claps with synco-rhythmic straightness. Even Celeste's own gated vocals appear on the track, and it's clear by now that the producer and DJ's sonic identity revolves around the cute, the blushing, the doe-eyed. And for a label so mired in connotations to opaque, headsy chinstrokiness, it's a breath of fresh air for Hessle Audio to feature a peach-pink inner label on one of their physicals for once. Of course, UK techno fans literally measure their own sense of time by Hessle Audio releases. We can only hope they keep up the diversifying trend.