Mix of the Week: Shanti Celeste
Chilean born, British raised and Berlin-based DJ Shanti Celeste makes flawlessly mixing different styles of music look easy, proving once again why she is considered one of the best in the game.
As a DJ you couldn’t ask for a better place to spend your formative years than Bristol, UK. When it comes to electronic music, the city has long punched above its weight with a constant output of excellent DJs and producers that seems totally disproportionate to its meagre size.
After moving to the UK from Chile when she was 12 years old, Shanti Celeste soon found her way to Bristol. Immersing herself in its music scene she quickly began carving her own place in the city’s rich musical history, starting her own club night and co-founding the BRSTL record label.
Through her releases and live mixes, such as last year’s set at Dekmantel festival, she has established herself as a committed party-starter in a scene where many DJs are prone to moments of self-indulgence. With excellent selections mixed in to more obscure experimental tracks, she certainly knows how to get a crowd moving.
This mix, which sees her return to Dekmantel as part of their mix series, covers deeper territory than we might normally expect from a Shanti Celeste club or festival set. Comprised mostly of new and upcoming releases, she perfectly bridges the gap between a broad range of styles of electronic music including house, techno, electro and even some neo-soul from Jill Scott.
One of the great debates in electronic music is the role of the DJ. Is the DJ there to simply get the party started or should a DJ push boundaries and introduce sounds audiences may not be familiar with? Shanti Celeste proves that it is possible to do both.
