Shantel (DE)

About

Also known as: DJ Shantel

Stefan Hantel, who records and performs as Shantel, built his reputation by weaving Romani brass band energy into electronic DJ sets in Frankfurt. Inspired by acts like Fanfare Ciocărlia and trumpeter Boban Marković, he carved out a sound that fuses Balkan roots with electronic beats in a way that genuinely moves a dancefloor. His Bucovina Club DJ night became a cult favourite and spawned two compilations on his own Essay label, winning the Club Global award at the 2006 BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music. His 2007 album Disko Partizani pulled back a bit from pure techno territory and leaned harder into the Balkan source material. Recording the video for that record in Istanbul brought him a massive following in Turkey, where the album eventually went platinum twice over. He has also collaborated with Oz Almog on Kosher Nostra Jewish Gangsters Greatest Hits, a gloriously chaotic mix of swing, jazz, twist, Charleston, and Yiddish songs.