French indie outfit Keep Dancing Inc reveal the secret behind their perfect, dance-inducing groove

Having recently released their second EP, entitled Restructuration, the French quartet have once again shown how their unique sound makes them stand out from their contemporaries. It'll make you want to dance, but also has an element of melancholy wrapped within their jangly synth pop melodies - it's clever, refreshing and endlessly intriguing.

Having self-described their sound and ethos as "Cold Zouk" - which is apparently something more than just a genre, but a whole way of life - their take on the indie dancefloor filler is neither contrived nor predictable and instead is able to feel anthemic whilst encouraging you to think about what they're saying. For example, just take the irresistible groove of previous single "Pornstar", a track that makes you want to dance like no one's watching but is ultimately about challenging the way society treats women.

We caught up with the group to find out the secret behind the perfect dance-inducing riff, their initial meeting at a Palma Violets gig and what we can expect from them in the future.

BEST FIT: How did Keep Dancing Inc first come together?
Charles: "I first met Louis and Gabrielle at a Palma Violets concert back in 2013. We were all in high school, and Louis and Gabrielle were already in a band together. We met Joseph a few years after at a Flavien Berger gig in Paris."

The music you make always has an irresistible groove behind it. What do you think the key ingredient to make people dance is?
Charles: "We try to mix the intensity of post-punk music with some heavy electronic beats, using a lot side chain compression. Moreover, we tend to play in venues with cheap beers."

Can you describe what a Keep Dancing Inc live show is like?
Charles: "A bunch of sweaty kids having fun and sometimes crying on the dancefloor."

Your song “Pornstar” talks a lot about the way women are viewed and over-sexualised against their will. How did this song first come about? Was there a particular event that sparked its creation?
Charles: "Even if I've been trying to learn a lot in gender issues for the last few years, talking with my friends in the wake of the MeToo Movement really moved me and made me understood how bad and deeply rooted the problem was. In this song I really tried to express all that."

Your second EP came out recently, and it feels like quite a big step from your debut EP Initial Public Offering. In what ways do you think that your sound has developed?
Charles: "For this ep we really tried to get straight to the point, keeping the songs short and simple and only layering a few instruments. There's also much more work on the lyrics, and Joseph mixed all the songs. This ep is really more personal in many ways than the first one."

What excites you as artists and makes you want to create?
Charles: "I don't think we would really be qualified to do any other job. And it's always overwhelming to have people coming at you to tell you that your music meant something for them."

How do you keep your sound fresh and exciting?
Charles: "We try to listen to a lot of stuff, especially to artists which not really from our genre. Moreover, going to as many gig as we can is a way to stay aware of what's going on."

What are you listening to at the moment and are there any particular artists that you think are really smashing it?
Joseph: "I'm currently obsessed with the current lo-fi electronic scene with artists such as DJ Seinfeld or Palmbomen II. I also just discovered a japanese house producer from the 90's called Soichi Terada. Check him out he's amazing."
Louis: "I'm listening to Jackson C Frank's eponym and only album, and OMD's Organisation, their second album, which is filled with amazing experimentations."
Gabrielle: "Kevin Morby's first album Harlem River."
Charles: "Clarinet & Piano : Selected Works by Group Listening is one of the most beautiful thing I heard for a while."

Is there an album on the cards? If so, is there anything you can tell us about it?
Charles: "We take our time for the album, nothing is really planned yet, but a new ep will come out on a british record label soon!"