- Hook-laden house with a Bristol bounce on Hessle Audio.
- I'd argue that Shanti Celeste is one of the most distinctive house producers working right now. Her instantly recognizable work is an effortless but savvy blend of the dubwise styles and sound system influence of her Bristol roots (that incredible pseudo-breakbeat drum programming on "Loop One" is forever burned into my brain), but also takes influence from London, everything from drum & bass to the kind of groovy, needlepoint tracks favoured by close friends like Peach and Saoirse. Now she debuts on Hessle Audio with two of her most ingenious tracks yet, tunes that seem simple on the surface but are loaded with clever detail and catchy hooks.
Even for a producer who already had a knack for an earworm, "Cutie" seems significant, like it could be destined for big things. Over a driving house beat with parrying snares—like jabs from a boxer with a particularly good offense—Celeste threads together a hook from childlike chanting, adding a second layer to the melody with a softer, more adult repetition, sending the hook home until you're humming it to yourself hours later. Coupled with the whirring pads in the background a hint of old-school organ, it's practically bursting at the seams with positive energy, an excitable track that never feels too hyperactive.
On the flip, "Shimmer," Celeste gets a little jammy, with another excellent organ bassline and an irresistible garage-y skip. This one's full of appealing sounds: heaving Chicago synths, snatches of vocal, and best of all, an atmospheric drum & bass-style piano lead that floats above like an echo of an LTJ Bukem record. These ear-tickling sounds come in and out, allowing Celeste to double-down on the chunky beat when she needs to. Danish house wiz Central is tasked with a remix, which centers that piano riff for a rough-and-tumble yet ornate remix that might be one of the most straightforward things ever on Hessle Audio—not that I'm complaining. It taps into the same bubbly deep house milieu of his recent two albums, timed well enough that it's tempting to say that this EP catches two artists at their peak.
Tracklist01. Cutie
02. Shimmer
03. Shimmer (Central Remix)
04. Cutie (Edit)