Good moods: Dive into Shanti Celeste's endlessly uplifting house

It’s interesting that you say you know people who need an outlet for their music. There’s so many labels out there, but there’s room for more?

When you’re on Discogs, for example, trawling through pages of record labels, you get a sense that music is infinite and you’re never going to know enough – you always want to know more. That feeling exists because people start more labels and put more music out. If they were like, “Oh, the world has enough labels for now. We’re going to stop, because the world doesn’t need it,” in 20 years time maybe people won’t [find that feeling]. It wouldn’t exist.

How easy is it to start a label in 2017? The cost of vinyl production has gone up since Brexit right?

Well, everything’s the same, it’s just a bit more expensive. I luckily got the first release pressed just before the price went up, so for that it was normal and OK. I don’t know how much the second one is going to cost but I know it’s considerably more. But, you know, I’m going to do digital so I can pay artists and make the money back and hopefully people will like the records so there will be represses and I’ll break even, at least. But the amount of work isn’t the thing – you just have to put up more money.

The world feels like it’s falling apart – why is dance music necessary at times like this?

It’s nice to feel united. You know when you’re in a club, and the lights are a little bit red, and you look around and you see all of your mates and everyone’s dancing and they look really happy – I think it’s so important to have those moments. The way that you feel after a night out dancing – even if you feel like shit from drinking too much or whatever – you still feel like you had a great night, you feel inspired, you’re mind has been opened a little bit.

You developed a signature sound super quickly. Did you have that honed before you started releasing as Shanti Celeste or did it happen from record to record?

It just happened. I don’t really think about it that much. If I think, “Right, today I’m going to make something that sounds like this,” then I’m always disappointed and I get really sad.

I can only start poking things [in the studio] and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. Obviously then you develop habits and that’s what’s created the sound you’re talking about. Even just the way that I’ll do a melody over the top of something, if you listen to the rhythm, it’s always really similar, the way the keys are pressed.

What kind of mood are you in when you make tracks?

I have to be in a good mood. And it has to be in the morning. I’m not someone who’s like, “Oh I’m really sad, I’m going to make a tune.” If I’m really sad, I don’t go anywhere near my studio. I probably should, but when I’m really sad or worried or anxious or angry, I can’t think of anything else but that. I find it hard to snap out of that and be creative.

I can hear elements of classic house artists like Boo Williams, Underground Resistance and Masters At Work in your music – would you agree?

Thanks! Those are massive influences, so they’re obviously going to have an affect.

After so many years, how does house music still manage to feel new?

House music isn’t very gimmicky – it’s honest. That’s why it lasts; it doesn’t get old.

You sing on your tracks. When did you learn and will you be making your singing even more prominent going forward?

I used to sing at school and I had a vocal coach who taught me loads of stuff, but I didn’t exercise that enough, and I didn’t become the singer I could have been. But I don’t really sing songs; I like doing little bits here and there.

I’m really crap at writing lyrics – that’s an issue I have. So sometimes I really want to sing and I’ll be like, “Oh my god a vocal would sound amazing on this” and I’ve got the melody but then I’m like, “What am I going to say?!” And that’s when everything crashes down. The times I have sung on my tracks, I haven’t thought about that, I’ve just come out with stuff.

You’ve got an insane record collection for someone in their mid 20s. When did you start collecting records?

I started when I bought my first set of decks – I was nearly 18. The thing is, loads of the records I bought over the first 4 years, I ended up selling. A lot of it was minimal and tech-house, before it got really bad, and I don’t play that stuff so much any more. So I got rid of it and began building my record collection back up when I was, like, 20. So it’s been coming along for about 7 years.

How influential have record shops been on you as a collector and artist?

I have such a love/hate relationship with record shops. When I’m in a record shop, I put so much pressure on myself to find music that when I buy stuff, I get home and think, “Urgh, why did I get that?!” I get so wound up when that happens – I have so many records like that, that I like but don’t love.

The more I buy records, the more I try to not buy them unless I love them. But I don’t like going into a record shop, listening to loads of stuff and not buying anything – I’ve worked in a record shop, I know how annoying that is. I always feel bad doing that.

You’ve released on a series of excellent independent labels, play great parties, live in the dance music capital of Europe and now have your own imprint – what advice would you give to artists looking to do the same?

Move to a city that has a really good music scene, definitely. I say this in every interview, but I think Bristol is the best place to live if you’re doing music and just starting out and you don’t have a lot of money. The music community is so tight knit that you get to know everyone and that opens up lots of opportunities, and it happens naturally without you having to be network-y. You will just meet these people naturally, because everyone goes to all the parties. It’s such a good place to be, to get yourself started, it’s inspirational. You need to be in a place like that.

Also, all the really corny things, like believing in yourself. Because if you don’t, it’s really hard. You need to believe in what you do. And don’t look at what other people are doing and don’t compare yourself to other people because that is poison – and social media is really shit for that. You have to be strong and get on with your shit.

'Selector'/'Loop One' is out on February 3 via Peach Discs

Seb Wheeler is Mixmag's Head of Digital. Follow him on Twitter