Shanti Celeste & Hodge - Whispers (Rave Mix)

  • An enviable team-up results in a wistful late-summer anthem with a vocal hook that sticks.
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  • Shanti Celeste has hit on something of a winning formula, which is wickedly simple in its execution: bouncy, buoyant house that feels happy-go-lucky yet hefty, sometimes embellished miniature vocal hooks. On paper, it doesn't sound like anything new, but as heard on last year's Hessle Audio EP, it's as refreshing as that first sip of seltzer on a hot afternoon. On her new EP, a team-up with Hodge, she presents two versions of "Whispers," another winning track in her hot streak. It's made up of lovely things strung together: Larry Heard-esque chords, an old-school organ bassline, fuzzy little sonic details and a vocal hook that deadpans "tell me something nice," which becomes weirdly insistent thanks to the organ notes underneath it. There's also a more Chicago-y "Deep Mix" that highlights the track's more sumptuous qualities, but either way, "Whispers" is a winner, packaging up house music nostalgia into a wistful late-summer anthem.
RA