Photo credit: Jasmine Safaeian
This year’s HARD Summer featured some of the most nasty B2B’s ever seen on a lineup, from Zhu and Tchami to Flux Pavilion and Netsky. But sometimes the best sets are the ones with surprises galore and genre hopping and now label owners Good Times Ahead (formerly GTA) certainly had some tricks up their sleeve on August 3.
We had a moment to sit down with Good Times Ahead mere hours before they unleashed a set where the guest appearances read like a festival lineup of its own including TJR, Flosstradamus and JSTJR just to name a few. When asked if JSTJR might play a role in the mysterious set Good Times Ahead gave the coy response, “Oh is he in town?”. Surely still riding the high from that stellar performance, Good Times Ahead certainly have a lot to look forward to.
Just released on HARD Recs is the duo’s groundbreaking collaboration LP, Good Times Bad Times at Hard Summer, that honors the many years Good Times Ahead brought their talents to a HARD Events stage. The addictive debut single “Milky Cabrera” features heavy hitter Diplo and the amount of talent just builds from there. Flosstradamus, Black Caviar, Twogangs, and Beauty Brain contribute to the project as well as 2¢, 4B and perhaps most impressively, Dog Blood. On display throughout the LP is Good Times Ahead’s ability to transcend labels and truly excel at making whatever type of music tickles their fancy. From feel good house to deeper darker vibes, the duo has never been the type to be pigeonholed.
Good Times Ahead’s HARD Summer set took the audience on a ride through their impressive catalog and was also the first time some Good Times Bad Times at Hard Summer tracks were dropped for the masses. Accompanied by a whole new batch of visuals to go along with the recently announced Good Times Ahead full-length moniker, the Green Tent was a raver’s dream.
Aside from the excitement of the brand new LP, Good Times Ahead also announced they’re the proud owners of their very own label, Good Times / Bad Times Records opened through Insomniac Music Group. When artists of this caliber go out into the world to harvest new, up and coming talent, the results are always positive and this venture will surely prove to be no different. The creation of the label also allows for complete freedom in Good Times Ahead’s future endeavors.
It’s an exciting time for the multi-talented Miami twosome moving forward with tons of new music and a new label to build from the ground up. But if we’re being honest, we’re really going to miss blowing people’s minds by telling them what GTA stands for. Ah well, here’s to the future! Buckle up and stream the new LP here.