Happiness Therapy is celebrating five years of releases this month ! The French label, founded by Crowd Control in 2018, has become one of the country’s most well-renowned outfits.

To commemorate such a milestone, the imprint is releasing a nine-track VA in the form of 5 Years of Happiness. Featured guests include Kolter and DJ Steaw, whilst several firm label favourite’s also appear on the VA, teaming up to produce a set of exclusive collaborations.

“This new release sets in stone half a decade of existence, life changing releases and unforgettable label nights” – Simon Blondeau aka Crowd Control.

Each track embodies the Happiness Therapy ethos through and through, as does each artist’s relationship with the label. The family feel runs deep: resulting in a compilation of feel-good, house-inspired musical goodness that encapsulates just what Happiness Therapy is about!

We sat down with the founder Crowd Control to speak about it. Enjoy!

WWD: Crowd Control in the building. Yo! Five years of happiness. How does it feel?

It feels good ! Time to look back a bit and be proud of what has been done. This anniversary release sets in stone half a decade of existence, life changing releases and unforgettable label nights.

WWD: Talk us through the names on this release. Old faces? New faces? Are there any standout tracks you’re particularly excited share?

Each track embodies the Happiness Therapy ethos through and through, as does each artist’s relationship with the label ! It gathers guests like Kolter and DJ Steaw and includes exclusive collaborations between the most exciting artists of my entourage. I’m grateful to everyone for their trust, and super excited about all those tracks that sound so unique.

WWD: And what are some of your favourite releases from the past five years on your label?

The very first release of the label has still a very important place in my heart. The second as well, since it helped the label to take off at quite an early stage of its existence.

Then another milestone was Jesse Bru’s “The Coast” album. It’s a 15 tracks projects that we released in 2020 between autumn & winter. It’s a beautiful piece of music that features a wide range of electronic music genres (electro, breaks,

house), with nice intro, outro & interludes. I think it was perfectly fitting the seasons we released it in, and the object itself (+ the merch coming with it) was cute.

Then definitely HT3YEARS, and now HT5YEARS 🎂 I’ve put a lot of energy making sure these V/A aren’t just a compilation of tracks, but a story. If you listen to the whole project you’ll understand. I also like the idea that each track could fit a moment of a DJ set.

WWD: ‘Drop The Beat’ stands out to us because of its beautifully-crafted old school feel. What can you tell us about the ways you meld new and old school house on Happiness Therapy?

I’m glad you caught that. When you’re passionated about old school house, you can’t just try to replicate it, as it has most likely be done in a more authentic manner before. I think it’s getting interesting when you merge it with other styles, and add it a modern touch/approach. That’s where creation & innovation happen !

WWD: And tell us about your own productions. Is there a standout piece of hardware gear or software that you’ve been using in the last five years that’s helped define your sound?

Here are some of my best buddies : Juno 106, Korg M1, Roland JV-1080, Yamaha TX81Z, SH101, TR-909.

WWD: There’s a variety of house styles on this release. Some are deep, some are faster and some dip into paradise garage vibes. Is that reflective of the sounds you play out and enjoy listening to?

Exactly. I’ve never really wanted to specialize in one specific genre as my influences have always been super wide. At the beginning I was unconsciously signing tracks that were different, but similar in a way. Recently I found out that what was making me signing this track was a common energy they had.

I love the history of House music and all its subgenres, so I tend to dig a lot, pick, and play a variety of tracks that I like to call « uplifting ». It results in a mix between old school and modern house music that bring different sounds and emotions to the dancers and keep them engaged during my sets.

WWD: Where should this EP be listened to, ideally?

I imagine 3 situations right now :

An holiday drive
A running session
and a club situation of course !

WWD: What’s one artist we should be listening to right now?

Sorry it’s not gonna be one, but 5 : Baka G, B From E, Strandtuch, Wooka, Toolate Groove

WWD: Have you got any tips for anyone getting into music production?

Stick to a few vst or gears and learn how to work them perfectly. Don’t try to add too many things but try to make a few ideas sound good. Understand what makes you happy when you listen to music, and find your own way of creating this feeling. Then you’ll find your sound, and you can go from there !

WWD: And what about those wanting to become label owners?

I’d recommend to get to know the scene first. I’ve waited 5 years to launch my label. There isn’t one way to do it, but before that, I started to plan events and dj, so I had a good network and a clear view of what a good label was.

Then, don’t rush it. Take time to work on a nice concept, a nice visual identity and find your own sound / energy.

Find a few upcoming artists that want to work with you, and grow together.