Nick Hannam was a fixture of Leeds’ underground dance music community who cut tracks like “Serious” and “Oh Baby.”
A Leeds-based dance music talent is gone before his time as fans in the UK and beyond mourn the untimely death of Nick Hannam at age 31.
Certified Jackin, a UK house music platform, first shared the news of Hannam’s passing in a Facebook post on Tuesday. It hailed him as “a true Leeds talent, and one of the pioneers who helped shape UK Jackin’, House & Bass,” but it did not give his cause of death.
“Nick didn’t just make tracks — he made memories,” reads the statement. “His music soundtracked countless nights out, countless moments, and left a mark on a whole generation of ravers.”
Nick Hannam began producing music in the early 2010s. He released his debut EP, The Manuscript EP, on iPlay Digital in 2014 at age 20. Further highlights of his discography include tracks like “Oh Baby,” “I Like To F*ck,” and “Colours” featuring Black Pumas with Xander. The throughline connecting much of his work was crisp basses and groovy percussion drenched in just the right amount of saccharine vocal melodies.
And while much of his fare could simply enough be categorized as underground house music, Hannam had a brush with the mainstream spotlight in 2016. It was then that he co-produced “You Want Me” featuring Sadie Ama by Tom Zanetti, which was certified platinum and broke into the UK Top 40 chart.
“Nick inspired us growing up in Leeds,” wrote music duo Prospa in a comment on Zanetti’s Instagram tribute. “He wrote the sound of a generation, a time and an era. Forever are the memories etched inside my mind of going to house parties, and how his music would get the place BOUNCING. He was and still is a major inspiration for us and I just want people to know the positive impact he had on the world.”
“From Leeds to the world, Nick Hannam’s legacy will live on in every speaker, every dancefloor and every heart he touched through his music,” closes out Certified Jackin‘s statement. “Rest easy Nick. You’ll never be forgotten.”
