DJ Shantel – alias Stefan Hantel, the multifaceted musician and producer – “king of the Balkan dancefloor” (Mondomix), was the winner of the BBC Award 2006* and Number 1 on the World Music Charts Europe**. His latest CD album „Bucovina Club Vol 2“ was voted best production of the year by the British magazine Songlines and featured in NME & Rolling Stone. German and French TV programs (ZDF, ARD & Arte) made major features about Shantel. He is renowned worldwide, respected and most wanted for his heady mix of Balkan Beats, Gypsy-Grooves, Freestyle Electronica and Russian-Disco. Shantel has brought the wild sounds of Eastern Europe to Clubland. He started his style revolution after a trip to the Bucovina, a region on the border between Romania and Ukraine, where his mother’s family originates. Shantel has triggered a whole new wave of pop- and music-culture that has adopted the energetic sounds of the East without any of the usual clich?s, ethnological ballast or folksy traditionalism. A new sound is here to stay. His unrivalled mix of romance, passion, fire and anarchy has made Shantel & Bucovina Club one of the most exciting musical genres, on the planet. Shantel has taken the World’s in-places by storm, from the State Opera House in Berlin (GER) and the Brixton Academy in London (UK) to the Tim Festival in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), the Cabaret Sauvage in Paris (France) and the legendary Transmusicales Festival in Rennes (France). He’s playing residencies in a number of European cities, like Berlin, Vienna, Zurich or Istanbul to name a few. He has just completed a special tour with British comedian Borat aka Ali G. aka Sasha Baron Cohen and is currently working on the sound track of forthcoming Fatih Akin (know for the highly accoladed “Head On!”) movie (world premier in Cannes 2007) and his own new album “Disko Partizani“ to be released May 2007.
Shantel’s performances generate pure, raw euphoria. The parties take up where the ecstatic raves of the house and techno generation left off. The Turkish press said: “Shantel//Bucovina Club is probably the most promising party and music concept since the advent of acid house!” No doubt, since he mastered the art of mixing Eastern European magic with a hi-tech pulse. He brings together all scenes, age groups and nationalities. Not in a politically correct, happy-clappy multiculturalist way. So kick back the sofa, open the vodka and let the party begin.
For further info and photographs please go to Essay website and click on press.
Direct links for downloads:
http://www.essayrecordings.com/media/presse/press_bucovina2txt.zip
http://www.essayrecordings.com/media/presse/press_bucovina2img.zip
Artist’s website www.bucovina.de