Shanti Celeste: 10 Key Tracks
Over the past fifteen-or-so years, Shanti Celeste has evolved from a Bristol house favourite to one of the UK’s most loved DJs and producers, building a reputation for warmth, melody and genuine feeling in an often overly serious scene.
Her label Peach Discs, which she co-runs alongside Gramrcy, has become a home for that vision, while her friendship and collaborations with the limes of Saoirse and Peach reflect the openness and inclusivity that define her approach. Her 2019 debut album Tangerine and 2025 follow-up Romance trace that evolution beautifully — from pure deep house through shimmering, pop-inflected experiments.
As Shanti herself recently told DJ Mag: ‘Making music is a journey. Every release I’ve done is an expression of where I was at that particular moment.’ Below are ten tracks that map that journey. Deep and dreamy, sensual yet fun, there’s an honesty to Celeste’s output that increases its appeal. We hope you enjoy checking these sounds as much as we did compiling this list.
‘Universal Glow’ {2014)
Confession time: I only came across this track recently while researching for this piece, but hey – I’m darn glad I did. Released via Julio Bashmore’s Broadwalk Records, it’s a perfect example of how Bristol artists have always championed one another. A forward-thinking, cosmic journey filled with shimmering synths and spaced-out pads, it captures that ‘future-facing’ energy shared by producers like Legowelt. And comes with a cool video, too!
Buy via Discogs
‘Golden’ (2014) [Secretsudaze]
Giles & James have long been supporters of emerging artists, and in many cases, these artists have gone on to scale great heights. So it’s no real surprise that they were among the first to champion Shanti over a decade ago on
This particular release is brilliant overall (I also wholeheartedly recommend you check the also excellent ‘Nu4Him’), but it’s the original mix of ‘Golden’ that really does it for me here. A glistening, sun-kissed deep house track of the type we’d come to see more of from Shanti later on.
Buy/listen to the full release via Bandcamp
‘SSS’ (with Funkineven) (2015) [Apron]
One YouTube commenter really hit the nail on the head when they described this one as fostering ‘Drexciya vibes’. That’s certainly the case, and if you’re a fan of James Stinson and Gerald Donald’s many timeless compositions, we can state with some assurance that you’re going to love this. Electro of the highest possible calibre.
Buy via Discogs
‘Alula’ (with Hodge) (2016) [Peach Discs]
‘Alula’ is a collaboration with Hodge that again reinforces Bristol’s underground sensibilities. This time around, the focus switches to skittish broken rhythms and melodic house, signalling the producer’s desire to push beyond made-for-the-dancefloor club-tools. As beguiling as it is utterly unpredictable, it showcases a great range to both producers’ repertoires.
Buy/listen to the release via Bandcamp
‘Make Time’ (2017) [idle Hands]
Shanti’s best tune? For me, this one takes the crown. A fluid, dreamy, ethereal track that’s soundtracked too many afterparties to mention, it’s imbued with a great sense of introspection in a similar vein to the likes of Soul Capsule’s Lady Science. That it manages to effortlessly flirt between different sounds, vibes and genres only makes it more appealing. A modern-day classic that helped propel Celeste to new heights entirely.
Buy via Discogs
‘Aqua Block’ (2019) [Peach Discs]
‘Aqua Block’ shows the producer’s more introspective side, with its deep, modular vibe giving us warm winter vibes that take on an extra relevance at this time of year. A highlight from her 2019 debut LP, ‘Tangerine’, this is the sorta music I just love listening to with my coffee in the morning.
Buy/listen via Bandcamp
Sun Notification (2019) [Peach Discs]
‘Sun Notification’ is another from ‘Tangerine’. The album’s most unique statement, it’s nothing if not aptly-titled too. Full of warmth throughout, it reflects an artist at the peak of her creative powers.
If a certain sense of calm and tranquility doesn’t pass over you after listening to this one, electronic music might just not be for you.
Buy/listen via Bandcamp
Infinitas (2019) [Peach Discs]
Our final pick from ‘Tangerine’ is ‘Infinitas’, a track that showcases Celeste expanding into techno-leaning territory while retaining her melodic identity. Still more P-bar than Berghain, its skipping baseline lets enough light in.
Buy/listen via Bandcamp
‘Shimmer’ (2022) [Hessle Audio]
You’d expect big things when Shanti shacks up on Ben UFO’s Hessle Audio, and this double A-sided release (also check the brilliant ‘Cutie’) is right on the money. Again, this one traverses through genres with a real elegance, with smidgens of UK garage siding up alongside delectable house flavours. Gorgeous stuff.
Buy/listen via Bandcamp
Romance (2024) [Peach Discs]
Closing this fine list is the title track from Celeste’s last LP. This track represents not just a musical shift but a personal one, as Shanti jumps on vocal duty. Written during lockdown and shaped by a new love, it’s deftly produced, with its classy pop sheen a canny example of what can happen when different styles combine with such aplomb. A positive, joyous, lovebomb of a track, it signs off our list in typically sumptuous fashion. Thanks for the music, Shanti!
Buy/listen via Bandcamp
