CONSIDERING he was stacking shelves just over a year ago, Scots dance ace Calvin Harris is now mixing in some mighty impressive company.

After seeing his debut album race into the top 10, he’s toured with the likes of Faithless, Groove Armada and worked alongside Kylie Minogue.

Getting to meet the former Neighbours star was undoubtedly one of the young production wizard’s most unexpected highlights to date.

"It was very surreal. Kylie made tea and I got to stroke her hair," explained the 23-year-old speaking from his home in Dumfries. "We were working on some songs for her next album and there are a couple I am really pleased with, but they’re under wraps at the moment," he added in his laid back manner.

By his own admission his rapid rise to recognition has been hard to take in. Being back in his home town where he’s set up his studio has helped him keep relatively grounded, though he’s barely had time to reflect due to a whirl of touring commitments around the country including Glastonbury.

"It’s not like everyone knows me here, but people have been OK. I thought I’d be alright going out to the shops to buy a smoothie but I’m finding that I get heckled quite a bit – but in a good way!"

For years as a teenager he spent countless hours messing about with his brother’s old Amiga 500 computer in a quest to distil some squelchy retro beats from its limited capabilities.

He bemoans the fact that some people are dismissive of what they perceive as an easy task, letting the low-tech machines do the hard work in coming up with dancefloor fillers. But he says there’s been plenty of hard graft behind his infuriatingly catchy summer Top 10 singles Acceptable in the 80s and The Girls.

"A lot of people just think I clicked a few buttons, but that’s just not the case. Over the years I used three Amigas. The first one died last year and that lasted 14 years. It’s going to go in a glass box in my museum!"

His early musical diet was quite different from his present material, ranging from Nirvana to the more funky mainstream sounds of Jamiroquai. He also admits to a grudging affection for the Spin Doctors, not for their lightweight songs mind, rather their quality bass lines. You see for Calvin, it’s all about the bass.

True to his unassuming self, he revealed it was a genuine surprise to be snapped up by major label Columbia.

He must surely be pleased with the chart success of the album, I Created Disco?

"The sales have been great, but some of the reviews have been laughable. I find it really stupid how some of these people, particularly those on broadsheet papers, just don’t get the fact that the album title is ironic. They base articles around me being a cocky upstart who is claiming to have invented disco!"

Despite the tongue-in cheek title of latest single The Girls, in which the singer’s apparent love of ladies of all shapes and sizes is revealed, it seems he’s not actually that much of a cad.

"That song is completely fictional, though it is nice to have had some attention recently. But to be honest I had a girlfriend long before all this started for me. Being on tour does make things difficult for us, but we manage."

While he concedes that being tied to a big company has its pressures, he’s not going to drive himself into an early grave. That’s just not his style.

Yet with his present work-rate no-one could accuse him of being idle and he is looking forward to a raft of gigs including a slot at the star-packed Electric Gardens Festival at Mount Ephraim.

"I’m working on songs for the next album, I can’t afford to just sit back and go ‘Yessssss, I’ve made it,’ and have to avoid being complacent. Electric Gardens should be a decent event. I’ve not been to Kent before though my manager is from there. Festivals are normally great fun as you get fed well!"

Anyone venturing to the east of the county for his gig will certainly be in for a musical feast including headliners Supergrass, Happy Mondays and a wealth of Kentish talent including Calvin’s Sevenoaks-based labelmates GoodBooks, whose acclaimed debut album was released this week.

Calvin Harris plays the Electric Gardens Festival on Saturday, August 4 which is headlined by Supergrass. The Sunday event is headlined by The Happy Mondays. Tickets £40 per day. Box office 01227 787787.

There will be a limited number of tickets available on the gate.