Hackman: Made Up My Mind (PTN)

When it comes to dance music, there are so many different styles that it’s hard to keep it straight. And perhaps it’s most interesting when you can’t neatly categorize and classify sounds and styles. However, there is a certain satisfaction in really straight-ahead genre tracks that are as much utility on a floor as they are for head-bobbing on headphones at home. I tend to find that these more tracky gems distinguish types of listeners immediately; the pop fans usually run the other way because there aren’t “songs” to be found, just grooves and if they’re lucky a vocal fragment or hook. Such is the case with Hackman’s ultra-infectious “Made Up My Mind,” revolving around arcade bleeps, crisp programming and a looping vocal of the title phrase. It’s no nonsense but gets my head bobbing every time. B-side “Bam Bam” continues the sensibility, with a warbling pitch-modulated vocal and a punchy kick drum. It begins with a slightly more traditional house flavor to it, though, like a pumped-up Herbert complete with funky organ and electric piano touches, until its deep low-end and spry percussion patterns lend it a tinge of the more current UK funky sound. Highly functional but no less satisfying crossover dancefloor tracks, well done and hitting just the right spot.

Buy it: iTunes | Bleep | Boomkat