{"title":"Hard Times","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"the-new-jersey-ep","title":"The New Jersey EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThere’s a reason they call it deep House. On 'The New Jersey' EP, DJ Romain doesn’t just nod to his roots, he digs into them, scooping out a warm, rhythmic core that pulses with sweat, memory, and reverence. This is not a revival or a pastiche; it’s a love letter etched in drum machines and delay, from a producer who’s lived the lineage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fixture of late-’90s NYC dance floors, Romain cut his teeth in the city’s thumping underbelly, learning from the likes of Todd Terry and later carving his own signature into the genre’s sidewalk. Across these four freshly cut tracks, Romain channels the same urgency that once drove dance crews, celebrities, and nightlifers alike into motion, and still does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLead track “Hello New York” is a no-nonsense DJ tool, a serrated slice of big room energy built around snapping snares, a jackhammer kick, and a spoken word vocal that bristles with pride and uplift. “Put more cut in your strut… pride in your stride” - it’s part mantra, part mission statement. “But It’s Alright” flips the vibe, conjuring up basement jazz sessions through dusky chords and a muted, plucked bassline that slinks like a late-night subway ride.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn “Check Your Pockets,” the energy turns inward and abstract, a woozy, psychedelic House jam that feels like dancing through a heatwave haze. He wraps the record with “Deep Inferno,” a peak-time burner full of sticky Afro-funk polyrhythms, clashing vocal chops, and steam-pressure percussion. It’s unhinged, hypnotic, and gloriously raw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaving revisited his archive with ‘The Lost D.A.T.S.' series, Romain returns to Hard Times not as a nostalgia act but as a flamekeeper - still innovating, still sweating, still firmly on the floor. The New Jersey EP is a love letter, yes, but it’s also a reminder: House never left. It just got deeper.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hard Times","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":52645521916235,"sku":"R0520-6717","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/HTRE015-1024x1024.jpg?v=1751619012"},{"product_id":"the-illusions-ep","title":"The Illusions EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eHard Times welcomes back Alex Arnout and his Black Logic project, following their recent ‘Pull Up’ EP with a second installment of new music from collective - The Illusions EP.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHailing from West Yorkshire, Arnout spent his formative years on the Hard Times dancefloors, absorbing the beats and vibes that would later shape his own productions. His journey with the label reignited when he was invited to remix Michael Watford’s classic 'Love Change Over' and Steve Silk Hurley’s fresh hit 'All I Need'. Now, he returns with something truly special.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Black Logic was born out of the pandemic,” says Arnout. “I wanted to move away from drum machines and synths, getting back to sampling jazz and the deep house sounds of the ‘90s - taking inspiration from artists like Bugs in the Attic, Jazzanova, and Ernest Saint Laurent.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat began as a solo project soon evolved into a collective effort. Bassist and guitarist Alan Riggs, a former member of Delta 5, joined the sessions, bringing warmth and groove to the productions. Vocalists Tempo O’Neil, Anthony Beckford, Mariana Orsho, and Sophie Barker added their distinct voices, completing the vision\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcross four tracks, The Illusions EP pulls us deeper into Black Logic’s rich, live-wired universe. The title track pairs Tempo O’Neil’s vocal with a grooving, low-slung bassline, whilst “Dusty” drifts in on brushed snares and ghostly Rhodes, its saxophone lines curling through the mix like smoke. “Chasing Daze,” analog synth shimmer and Tempo’s velvet tones, is a track suspended between head-nod groove and astral lift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe curtain falls with “Disco Down,” a jubilant ensemble of Hammond organ, flute, guitar, bongos, and horns locking into joyous conversation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hard Times","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":53275624767819,"sku":"R9036-8353","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/HT_digital_releases_-1024x1024.png?v=1756465841"},{"product_id":"devils-dance-2025-remixes","title":"Devil's Dance (2025 Remixes)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree decades on from its original 1995 release, Todd Terry’s 'Devil’s Dance' still burns with the kind of manic, floor-filling energy that defined the early years of Hard Times. Now, Todd and the label return to the track, inviting a trio of today’s most vital club architects to rework one of Todd's most incendiary productions for a new generation of dancers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing a year that saw Chris Stussy and Dan Shake breathe new life into 'Bounce to the Beat,' Hard Times closes out 2025 with 'Devil’s Dance (Remixes),’ a collection that bridges old-school grit and new-school heat. Rossi., Demi Riquísimo, and Cinthie each bring their own distinct combustion to Todd’s iconic organ riffs and bulbous bassline, reframing the track through London, Berlin, and Balearic prisms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRossi. leans into the city that raised him: “It’s been a real pleasure to remix such an iconic inspiration for me as an artist. Todd is a legend and part of the reason why we have the culture of music we have today. I wanted to bring my remix back to my London roots - a UKG skippy, warpy approach that still carries those iconic chord riffs.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hard Times","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":55989642789195,"sku":"R5879-7389","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/HTRE020.jpg?v=1764243163"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/collections\/hard-times.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}