This summer, Hard is going bigger than ever, with not one, but TWO New York City visits from the LA-based party machine.

On July 24, Hard will carry on one of NYC’s favorite summer pastimes with an outdoor concert at Governor’s Island. Headliner M.I.A. will be joined by fellow Creators Project alums Die Antwoord and Sleigh Bells, along with Skream, Benga, Rye Rye, Theophilus London, Borgore, Destructo, 12th Planet, Nguzunguze and Ninjasonik, all coming together for an evening of music you won’t want to miss. [tickets + info]

This August, Hard will also hit the road for their first tour, stopping in 12 cities across the US and Canada. Crystal Castles, Sinden and Destructo will take over NYC’s Terminal 5 on August 21, with more performers to be announced at a later date. [tickets + info]

To prepare you for the madness, the good folks at Hard released a promotional mix featuring artists that will perform at Hard this summer. Though the mix is geared towards the L.A. events, the mix is not only free, but also good, so who are we to complain? Listen to the mix below, or CLICK HERE download. Peep the tracklist after the jump…

Hard Promo Mix (Produced by Nitrus)

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Last Saturday, Hard brought their signature party back to the east coast for a blowout that drew a sold-out crowd to Terminal 5. The unstoppable line-up of Destructo, Proxy, Buraka Som Sistema, Major Lazer and Boys Noize delivered five straight hours of pulsating electro that made Hard’s second outing in New York City a raging success.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM

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Hard Fest recently announced that M.I.A. will headline shows in both Los Angeles and in New York City this summer. The dates are particularly well-timed, given that M.I.A.’s third studio album is tentatively slated for a June release. Last January, M.I.A. took to Twitter to leak a new track, “There’s Space For Ol Dat I See”, produced by Rusko (listen to it below). We’re hoping that this new collaboration will manifest itself on stage this summer, which isn’t too farfetched – Diplo was M.I.A.’s official DJ on the People vs. Money tour in 2008.

M.I.A. + Rusko – “There’s Space For Ol Dat I See”

Hard NYC will take place on July 24 on Governor’s Island. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 26 at noon. There will be a limited number of $40 tickets available.

Don’t forget, Hard will be hosting a pool party this Thursday in Miami, and will hit NYC on April 3 with Major Lazer, Boys Noize, Buraka Som Sistema, Proxy, and Destructo.

As usual, Diplo turned to Twitter to announce an April release for Lazers Never Die, the upcoming Major Lazer EP. “Sound of Siren”, which features M.I.A. and Busy Signal, is the first song off the EP and has already been making its way around the interwebs.

The EP will also feature collaborations with Buraka Som Sistema, Collie Buddz, Lindi Ortega, Kicks Like a Mule, Ms. Banks and Thom Yorke (which brings to mind another Diplo Tweet from a few weeks ago).

Major Lazer will embark on a “Lazers Never Die” tour this spring, which will include stops at Ultra (March 27), Hard NYC (April 3), and Coachella (April 17). Listen to “Sound of Siren” below, and click through for the full track listing.

Major Lazer featuring M.I.A. and Busy Signal – “Sound of Siren” (right click to download via Pitchfork)

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After a successful debut last month, Hard has announced the line-up for their next New York City outing, which will once again take place at Terminal 5 on April 3rd, 2010. Hard NYC’s first event leaned heavily towards dubstep, with a line-up that included genre heavyweights Crookers and Rusko. While Destructo and Major Lazer will make repeat appearances, Hard is diversifying, adding German electro sensation Boys Noize, Portuguese quartet Buraka Som Sistema, and the US debut of Russian DJ Proxy. Like Major Lazer, Buraka Som Sistema bridges a musical and cultural gap by mixing familiar sounds with their worldly musical style.

Speaking of Major Lazer, they recently embarked on an international tour, with Jillionaire (aka Trini Chris) taking over for Skerrit Bwoy as the resident MC. Chris recently sent us this remix of Major Lazer’s “Jump Up”, which, apart from the vocals, is a totally different track with more of an electro-house vibe, done by Trinidad-based Razorshop Productions. Check it out below or download it here, and look out for more remixes and releases in the coming months from Chris’ fledgling label, Feel Up Recordings.

Major Lazer – “Jump Up” (Razorshop Funky Sax Dub Mix)

Click here to buy tickets and check out photos from Hard NYC’s debut in October.

Get it while it’s hot! Just for today (July 9), Amazon is selling Major Lazer’s debut album for only $3.99. If don’t already have it, this is a fantastic deal and a great opportunity to support the music biz. Don’t forget, Major Lazer will be back in town for HARD NYC on October 10. Check out pictures from their last NYC show at S.O.B.’s here.

Major Lazer – Hold The Line

The line-up at HARD Summer is so good, I almost flew to Los Angeles just for the night. Thankfully, on October 10^th, they’re bringing their signature party to Terminal 5 with HARD NYC. While the line-up isn’t quite as massive, the NYC show, which features Crookers, Major Lazer, Rusko, Jack Beats and Destructo, promises to be one hell of a party.

Click here for info and tickets, and don’t miss Jack Beats when he opens for A-Trak on July 31 at Webster Hall.

Kid Cudi vs Crookers – Day N Nite (Rusko’s Big Trombone Remix)