“Move Your Feet” – Junior Senior
(Words/music: Jesper Mortensen, appears on D-D-Don’t Stop the Beat, Crunchy Frog Records 2003)

One of the worst kept secrets in my life is that I’m not much of a dancer; sure, I have a couple moves for comedic effect, but “going dancing” does not sound like my idea of a Saturday night out.  I see how people derive pleasure from dancing and I fully support it; I’m happy to enjoy my beer at the bar while friends move toward the middle of the floor.  There’s something to be said about a sweaty evening having a ball with a group of strangers, but I rarely find myself in the mood to join in the revelry.  I think it’s because I’m too self-conscious when I dance – “what do I do with my hands?” kind of stuff, I’ll spare you the Seinfeld moment – so I end up more concerned with not sticking out in the crowd than enjoying myself.  All things being equal, when there’s dancing involved, I’d rather be in the DJ booth.

I’m always interested in DJs, specifically amateur DJs who are really just selecting songs rather than creating mixes on the fly, and the thread that connects one song to the next.  I think that being a DJ means toeing the line between what the room wants to hear and what the room needs to hear.  This is an important distinction – there’s obviously a context that’s important (obviously there’s a difference between a room full of people looking to hang out and relax with friends with some music in the background and a room full of people looking to bust a move) but it’s also important to understand how the next song will change the mood or dynamic in the room.  It also helps to have a couple go-to tracks that will create the desired result, whether it’s a rush to the floor, a frenzied sing-a-long, or recalling a shared moment.

In my hypothetical crate, “Move Your Feet” would be one of the songs I’d use to ramp up the energy in the room.  From those crescendoing shouts in the opening leading immediately into the bright, synth-heavy hook, it’s hard to resist bobbing along.  The stuttery main vocals create their own counter-rhythm, serving almost like another percussion instrument than as a vehicle for poetry.  Remember, the song’s objective is to get feet moving, not to contemplate complex social issues, and breaking the words down to syllables (and repeating certain ones) creates this unique sonic texture.  Then, the vocals shift to a call and response section – one that’s simple enough to pick up by the second time of the song – reminding the crowd of their mission to shuffle their feet.  It’s the type of song that’s enjoyed whether you’re moving your feet on the floor or just bopping your head in between sips at a table.

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