DJ Spen presents the MuthaFunkaz - The Muthafunking Hard Times EP [Hard Times]

Format: 12" in printed sleeve.

Hard Times and DJ Spen go back decades. The Baltimore house veteran has long been a constant presence at the label’s parties, on remixes, and now, under his Muthafunkaz alias, he cements that bond with a set that functions as both a time capsule and a renewal. The Muthafunking Hard Times EP resurrects a series of Spen’s jams from the early-to-mid 2000s that, until now, have never seen a vinyl release. True to form, Spen didn’t just dust them off: he remastered, refreshed, and gave them a 2025 shine, connecting past and present in one irresistible sweep.

The A-side opens with the Funkee Kole Cappin’ Mix of 2008’s “(You Make Me Say) Woah!”, a gospel-fueled storm whose call-and-response vocals reach for the heavens as a sly nod to the Fab Four keeps everything airborne. Next up is “Holy Ghost” in its Holy Spirit version, which extracts ecclesiastical floor catharsis from tribal percussion and sacred chants – a kinetic, almost Faya Combo-esque burst of fervor.

Flip the record over and you’re hit with the swing and strut of 2010’s “Gotta Hold On Me,” with Spen’s Vocal Mix turning brass and jazzy drums into a bona fide adrenaline shot. The closer, “Doin’ The Best I Can,” marks a shift in tone: harmonica and guitar sketch over loose beats, somewhere between a late-night reverie and Sunday morning balm.

Too vibrant, too joyful, too Spen to leave locked away: The Muthafunking Hard Times EP isn’t simple musical archaeology. It’s an affirmation of what house does best – uplift, electrify, and remind you that, even after decades, the spirit still moves.