Shouse: "Limited choice is the best tool for creativity"
- Redaction
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
SHOUSE is an Australian electronic duo consisting of Ed Service and Jack Madin from Melbourne. Known for their experimental blend of deep house, orchestral, and choral elements, they create music that celebrates collective energy and community. Their global hit "Love Tonight" catapulted them to fame, achieving Platinum and Diamond certifications worldwide. SHOUSE's latest release, "Call My Name" continues to expand their sound, combining bold, theatrical elements with their signature anthemic style. With a focus on communal ecstasy through music, SHOUSE remains a powerful presence in the global dance scene, constantly evolving and captivating audiences worldwide.
"Call My Name" seems to mark an evolution in your sound, pushing into more bold and theatrical directions. How would you describe the creative process that led to this new phase of your music? Were there any specific influences that inspired you?
It all started simply with singing with a group of friends, deep in industrial Melbourne! Call My Name is the final chapter in a kind of accidental trilogy that started with Love Tonight and Won’t Forget You - we just wanted to make something that those people who loved those tracks craved. Each of those tracks explores connection in different ways—this one felt like it needed to go deeper, darker, and a little more dramatic. It sat with us for a long time, shifting shape, getting bigger and stranger, until it started to feel right. We were inspired by everything from old rave euphoria to choral requiems—things that make people feel something together. It’s always been about that shared emotional space, where music brings people into sync.
The series of singles you've released has undoubtedly left a mark on the electronic scene. What has it been like for you to see your music evolve, and how did you choose to integrate orchestral and choral elements into your tracks?
 If we have brought more humanity back into big stage electronic music then we are thrilled! It’s been wild to watch these songs take on lives of their own and spread around the globe. Hopefully they are played forever. We never set out with a plan to "go orchestral" or "add a choir"—those elements just grew out of what the songs needed to feel whole. We’re always chasing a certain feeling, that collective buzz when everyone’s locked into something bigger than themselves. Adding more voices, more organic textures, helped create that sense of scale and togetherness. It’s less about genre and more about building a space people can step into and feel part of.
Collaborating with the local choir to create a collective energy is a core part of your project. How did this idea come about, and how important is the communal aspect of music to you? Do you have any interesting stories from these performances?
We’ve always believed music is something made with people, not just for them (we actually wrote an essay about that which you can read here!). The choir was our way of inviting everyone in—breaking down the line between performer and audience. At our Communitas show during RISING, over a thousand people came together in St Paul’s, Melbourne’s biggest cathedral —toddlers to 90-year-olds, strangers turned bandmates. Someone described is as "like religion without the guilt"— and that’s exactly what we dream of. A moment where everyone connects to the higher power of music.
As producers and DJs, what do you think is the biggest challenge in blending different musical styles like deep house and choral music, and how do you manage to keep the sound cohesive in such a diverse project?
You know, we never really intended to make a particular style. We just sat down with a drum machine, a synthesizer, and - influenced by the disco, house, deep house records we know and love - this is what came out. When we got our choir together that really felt like another extraordinary piece of the puzzle.. But thinking about it, deep house has its own hypnotic groove, and choral music has this raw emotional power. When you bring them together, the trick is not to over do it. Leave space. Let each element breathe. What ties them together is the feeling—both aim to transport you, to get everyone in the same emotional rhythm. That’s our compass: if it moves us in that collective kind of way, we’re on the right path.
Our songs are actually usually very simple blend of organic voices, instruments and a few synthesizers. We don’t really use plug-ins and reject the endless choice that computer music production offers. It’s too much. Limited choice is is the best tool for creativity.
"Community" and "collective effervescence" are central themes in your work. What message do you hope to convey to your audience during live performances, and how do you want people to feel after listening to your music?
We’re actually working on our brand new live show now, and it’s pretty exciting. We want people to feel like they’re part of something—like they belong. Whether it's in a packed club or a field at a doof, there’s this incredible energy when everyone’s tuned into the same frequency and when the arms come up, the voices raise and we all create a ‘moment’ together. That’s what we try to tap into. It’s not about performance, it’s about participation. When people leave one of our shows, we hope they feel more connected—to each other, to themselves, to something bigger. Even just for a moment. That’s the magic we’re chasing.
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