DJ Romain returns to Hard Times with more of that classic New Jersey house sound that made him a goto name in the 90’s.
Deep House doesn’t get much deeper than this. With The New Jersey EP, DJ Romain returns to Hard Times not just as a scene veteran but as a flag bearer for the roots of East Coast House. This isn’t a throwback; it’s a fully lived-in journey through rhythm, attitude, and soul, channelled through four cuts that each feel like a chapter in a story only Romain could tell.
Opening track “Hello New York” is pure dancefloor fuel, a stripped, percussive stomper laced with fierce spoken word that adds both swagger and soul. It’s built tough, with sharp snares and a heavyweight kick that wouldn’t sound out of place at Sound Factory circa ’98. But it’s the vocal mantra — “put more cut in your strut… pride in your stride” — that hits hardest, giving this one real DJ tool status with a message.
“But It’s Alright” flips the mood into a late-night simmer. Smoky Rhodes chords, woozy key stabs, and a beautifully restrained bassline wind this one into jazzier territory, deep but playful, like the best Prescription-era grooves. It oozes warmth and sounds like it was made for after-hours heads-down moments.
Then comes “Check Your Pockets”, a psychedelic, semi-dubbed-out jam that shimmers with tension. Delays flutter, synths twist and dissolve, and the groove feels loose but focused. This is Romain stretching out, abstract but still locked into that undeniable swing.
Closing cut “Deep Inferno” is the wild card. Afro-funk-inspired percussion, looping vocal fragments and relentless polyrhythms create a peak-time storm. It’s sweaty, unrelenting, and loose-limbed, House music at its most physical and primal.
There’s a sense of closure in this EP too. It’s the last to come out of Romain’s New Jersey studio, marking the end of a chapter but not the end of the story. Following his Lost D.A.T.S. project, The New Jersey EP feels like a mission statement: House is still here, still evolving, and Romain is still pushing it forward from deep within.
The New Jersey EP will be out from July 25th, 2025. Pre order here.
