Shanti Celeste

Listening to Shanti Celeste feels like an explosion of colour. The Chilean DJ, producer and vocalist is a vibrant force in electronic music, charming dancers the world over with her bright take on house, techno and downtempo, all coated with a pop sheen. Now, her vision has crystallised for her second album, Romance. Romance was produced between her current home of Bristol and London "in less than a year," intentionally placing her vocals front and centre for the first time. The album unfurls like a rose-tinted daydream. "Butterflies," featuring Austrian-Ethiopian harpist Miriam Adefris, is a rhythmic downtempo meditation. With bongo samples that nod to her Latin heritage, Celeste's spoken-word vocals reverberate like a mantra: "I wanted this song to feel like it was a secret, an inner thought." On "Thinking About You," shimmering house is heartened by Celeste's stretched-out falsetto—an immediately emotive highlight. Celeste describes the album as a reflection of her personal growth, sparked by falling in love and overcoming creative blocks. "All of a sudden I realised that I had more to write about. I finally felt inspired." The album's intimate nature is only strengthened by her mesmerising vocal performance. "It was a scary thing to do. I would always doubt myself too much." But she pushed forward. "I learned that I have to take risks and not stomp my own artistic evolution just because I'm afraid of what people are going to think."