January has been a fantastic month for new music – here’s a mixtape of what has been on heavy rotation at HBF towers – we’ll be keeping the tracklist secret, just to keep you guessing. Who knows maybe there’s new Daft Punk in here, you never know…..

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As some of you may well know we were hacked over the festive period. Some internet troll managed to gain access to our server through an exploit in a plugin on another site on the same server.

We’ve managed to remove the offending files and sent a shot across the bow of the loser who did this. We thought we’d let you know what steps have been taken to safeguard the site and what will be happen in the future.

We will be moving to a new server next week with a fresh install of WordPress and hopefully this will be the end of the saga. We’ve check the system and there should be no threat to you or your computers. Apparently these hacks are commonplace and if Sony can defend themselves then we can’t either.

We don’t store ANY personal data/information for precisely this reason. Apparently these attacks do happen and mainly target popular sites – so we’re flattered, but still annoyed. There might a little bit more downtime next week, but we’ll let you know when this will happen.

Thanks for your support.

The HBF Team.

Compared to last year 2011 has been a good year for electronic music, we wouldn’t go as far as saying its been vintage, but its been far from a dud.

Globally electronic music seems to be growing which is a good thing, sure there are those who are looking to make a quick buck by jumping onto the dubstep bandwagon, but for us one of the biggest winners has been the continued success of nu-disco.

It’s seen further growth worldwide, and for us, ultimately, has shown the world that organic music can still compete with synthetic wobbles of the current buzz genres.

This is our list of the what we think have been the best albums, singles, remixes and, for the first time, blogs in 2012. You’re not going to see 10 albums of pretentious deep house or artsy indie that we’ve never mentioned. Our list mirrors what we’ve been listening to and have been featuring on HBF.

There’s no running order for any of the lists, because, to be honest, it would be a waste of time and an exercise in futility. The albums, singles, remixes and blogs are all amazing and are all of equal quality. So there. If you think we’re wildly off, or have missed something do let us know. But we’ve trawled through every page of HBF and across the lists and mixtapes we feel we covered every artist or act that deserves to be recognised in 2011.

We’d like to the say a quick thanks to all the artists, readers, friends, fellow bloggers, PR’s, labels, and our internet and design teams who have all helped to make 2011 our most successful year. Without you we wouldn’t be where we are today.

We’re not perfect, but, nor is the world – we do this for the love of music and are very much looking forward to the musical delights of 2012. We’ll be taking a proper break over Christmas, because, we need some time off. The 800 + posts we’ve done over the last 12 months has taken its toll both physically and mentally. So this will probably be the last post of the year. But we’ll be back the first week of January to start this wild ride all over again.

Have a lovely Christmas and New Year and we’ll see you on the other side.

The HBF Team.

Best Albums of 2011:
Siriusmo – Mosaik
Yuksek – Living Life On The Edge of Time
Justice – Audio, Video Disco
SebastiAn – Total
Rafale – Obsessions
Bodi Bill – What!
Monarchy – Around The Sun
DigiKid 84 – Timelapse
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
The Supermen Lovers – Between The Ages

Best Songs of 2011:
Breakbot – Fantasy Feat Ruckazoid
Monsieur Adi – Fire Fire Fire
Yuksek – On A Train
M83 – Midnight City
SebastiAn – Embody
Siriusmo – Feronominkon
Shook – The Rise And Fall
Flight Facilities – Foreign Language
Peter & The Magician – Twist
Tyson – Fight

Best Remixes of 2011:
Sneaky Soundsystem – Big (Oliver Remix)
Monarchy – You Don’t Want To Dance With Me (Moonlight Matters Remix)
The Whip – Secret Weapon (Alex Metric Remix)
Christa V – Your Heart (Show Your Shoe Remix)
Fenech Soler – Demons (Yuksek Remix)
The Penelopes – Now Now Now (The C90’s Remix)
Lana Del Ray – Blue Jeans (Club Clique)
Sawgood – Not So Funny (Decide Remix)
Shindu – Happy House (Herr Styler Remix)
Chromeo – When The Night Fall (Breakbot Remix)

Best Blogs of 2011:
Electronic Rumors
La.Ga.Sta
Nashville Nights
Sloth Boogie
Too Many SebastiAn’s
Stoney Roads
The Music Ninja
Remix86
Slutty Fringe
Loose Lips

HBF’s Best Of 2011 by Mr HBF

Download here.

Show Your Shoe – Pandi
Noah & The Whale – Life Is Life (Yuskek Remix)
Aeroplane – Superstar (Krays Remix)
Hercules & Love Affair – Painted Eye’s (Moonlight Matters Remix)
RipTide – Sophie
Yuksek – Always On The Run (Peter & The Magician Remix)
Peter & The Magician – Twist
Yuksek – On A Train (Magician Remix)
Mustang – Shooting Love (Fat Club Remix)
Beni – Someone Just Like You (Villa Remix)
Gesaffalstein – Control Movement
Rafale – Everglades (Commuter Remix)
Mumbai Science – Researchers

Best of 2011 Alternate by Mr HBF

Download here.

SebastiAn – Love In Motion
Leno Lovecraft – Cybernetic
Shook – Though The Fire
Noah & The Whale – Life Is Life (Yuksek Remix)
Aeroplane – Superstar (The Krays Remix)
Hercules & Love Affair – Painted Eyes (Moonlight Matters Remix)
RipTide – Sophie
Yuksek – Always On The Run (The Magician Remix)
Peter & The Magician – Love In Rimini
Yuksek – On A Train (The Magician Remix)
Mustang – Shooting Love (Fat Club Remix)
Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix)
Kylie Minogue – If You Feel The Love (Monsieur Adi Remix)
Yuksek – Out Of Control
Justice – Horsepower

We’re starting our best of 2011 a little earlier this year with a mixtape that gives you an idea of what we’ve been championing over the last 12 months. This is not the final list, but, an aperitif – the full list of remixes, originals and albums will be ready for mid-december.

HBF’s Best Of 2011 by Mr HBF

Show Your Shoe – Pandi
Noah & The Whale – Life Is Life (Yuskek Remix)
Aeroplane – Superstar (Krays Remix)
Hercules & Love Affair – Painted Eye’s (Moonlight Matters Remix)
RipTide – Sophie
Yuksek – Always On The Run (Peter & The Magician Remix)
Peter & The Magician – Twist
Yuksek – On A Train (Magician Remix)
Mustang – Shooting Love (Fat Club Remix)
Gesaffalstein – Control Movement
Rafale – Everglades (Commuter Remix)
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Download here.

With the blogosphere still struggling to come to terms with the great soundcloud outage of 2011 – its actually given us a little breathier to make this months HBF Mixtape. This is Indian Disco.

ABBA – Gimme Gimme Gimme (Mighty Mouse Re-Work)
Monarchy – You Won’t To Dance with Me (Moonlight Matters Remix)
The Magician – I Don’t What To Do (Fabian Dub)
Beni – Someone Just Like You (Villa Remix)
Lana Del Ray – Video Games (Clique Remix)
M83 – Midnight City (Trentemoller Remix)
Kris Menace & Rex The Dog – Pow (Rex’s Casio Remix)
Mark Ronson – Record Collection 2012 (Moonlight Matters Remix)
The Whip – Secret Weapon (Alex Metric Remix)
Irish Step – Junkie Maggie
Pulpalicious – Bodytalk (Sovnger in love Remix)

Mr HBF – Indian Disco

Download here.

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It’s August and it’s hot. So we thought we’d do a disco electro mix for you to grin, sweat and dance to. Welcome to Sweaty Disco.

Download here.

It’s meant to be the Summer at the moment, but all we’ve seen is rain and only the odd break in the ever-lasting dark clouds of the north. So whether it’s 100 degrees and sweaty – or grey, dull and raining this mixtape should transport you to a happy place.

HBF Mixtape: Come Rain Or Shine

Download here.

Today is a special day for us at HBF Towers – we are celebrating our second birthday – who knew that a music blog which was started in 2009, on a whim, would grow to where it is now – in the last 24 months we have had a staggering 1.5 million visitors from over 180 different countries.

We never thought in our wildest dreams that we’d be still going and or even be this successful. It’s been hard work, but it has one of the most rewarding experiences ever.

We’d like to take a moment to thank our design team at Woolhouse Studios. Our clever internet team at Refined Internet and all the artists who we have featured; we hope we have helped you in some small way.

And a special mention must got to all the labels, PR’s and most importantly readers who come back time and time again. You make the site what it is today.

To celebrate the fact, we stayed up until the early hours recording a little mix as a thank you. We hope you like it.

The HBF Team.

HBF Birthday Mixtape by Mr HBF

Download here.

We’ve started to take the ‘ol mixtape game a little more seriously over the last few months, and today’s effort is our most ambitious to date.

Tracklisting

Thugfucker – Disco Gnome (Tale Of Us Remix)
Labyrinth Ear – Navy Light (4am Remix
Tyson – Die On The Dancefloor (Headman Remix)
Tyson – Out Of My Mind (Swiss Remix)
Kevin McKay – Body Talk
Retro Grade – Reset
Chilly Gonzales – You Can Dance (Walter Solbeck Remix)
Rafale – Everglade (Commuter Remix)
Robyn – Indestructible (A-trak Dub)
The XX – Crystalised (Edu Imberton Remix)
Goldfrapp – Believer (Joris Vorn Remix)
Mixhell – Antigalatic (Gui Boratto Remix)
Aeroplane – Superstar (The Krays Remix)
Boys Noize – Yeah
Kayzo – Braguette (Nightbreaker Remix)
SebastiAn – Embody

HBF Mixtape: ‘A New Dawn’

Download here.

We were bored last night, and this normally means two things, there was no-one to play with or we have nothing better to do than fire up Ableton Live.

The mix is full of tracks we’ve been liking recently and it’s yours for free. We hope you enjoy. Feel free to abuse us if you don’t like it, there are plenty more from where you came from.

HBF Mixtape – A Wing And A Prayer

Download here.

And no we don’t take bookings, and shame on you for even considering it, go find someone who has some talent.

We thought we would run a mix competition of sorts, the only rule is the mix cannot be longer than 20 minutes, although we must apologise as are clocked in at 21 minutes. If you fancy yourself as a bit of a mixer, then why not send in your mixes and we’ll choose a few to post. Do your worst, I know we have.

HBF 20 Minute Wonder

Download here.

Just a quick post to say Happy New Year, and to give you lot a lovely mix from new Belgium producer Mickey, who just so happens to be managed by the same guy who looks after fellow Belgium disco cohorts Aeroplane and Villa – so the signs are looking very good.

Mickey-NYE-2011 mix by Mickey

Download here.

01. Rusty Egan presents Shock: ‘R.E.R.B’ [Original]
02. Classick [Bear's Sun & Drugs Remix]
03. Silver Columns: ‘Brow Beaten’ [Moonlight Matters Remix]
04. Get On Up [Stupid Human Edit]
05. Freak [Andy Ash Edit]
06. Ali Love: ‘Moscow Girl’ [Mustang Remix]
07. Adonis: ‘No Way Back’
08. Count Jackula: ‘Africa’
09. Maximilian Skiba: ‘One To Pray To [Beg To Differ Vocal Remix]
10. Hercules and Love Affair : ‘My House’ [Leo Zero Remix]
11. Nice & Wild: ‘Diamond Girl’
12. Beni: ‘Bubbles’ [The Magician Dub Mix]

Grab his amazing comedy Mickey-re-view of Michel Sadou ‘s”Afrique Adieu” too.

Michel Sardou – Afrique adieu (Mickey-re-view) by Mickey

Download here.

And grab a free DJ set from him – we could just post the entire soundcloud account it’s that good. So,make sure you check it out.

Djset Mickey …/10/10### by Mickey

As you may know it’s Christmas soon and we’re not entirely sure how much music will be landing in our inbox over the next few weeks – so we thought we take this lull in the storm to thank you all for your continued support.

2010 was a marquee year for HBF, we were nominated for two awards, although we won neither, we finally got the site re-designed and saw superb growth throughout the year. 2011 promises to be even bigger; as we’re going to be looking for contributors and will be launching a sister site HGF.  We want to increase the content and make HBF even better.

Again, we can’t thank our readers enough. We’re nothing without you. We’re everything with you. We’ll continue to build and continue to thrive.  We want to be the best electronic music blog in the world and one day it will happen.

Have an amzing holiday – get drunk, eat turkey, listen to HBF – and we’ll be back revitalised and even better in 2011.

If we do come across some music worth posting we will of course get it on the site – but we do need some time off, to recharge and re-focus.

The HBF Team.

Took all day but here is the first proper HBF Mixtape, mixed by me, been a long time since I have mixed……So go easy on me. Hit the comments and see if you can guess the whole tracklisting.

Latest tracks by Mr HBF

We’ve had a busy month over at HBF Towers and we’ve been inundated with so much music we can’t keep up so we thought we would round up what the think is the best stuff gathering dust in our inbox.

First up, we have a new remix of the only decent track on the Chemicals Brothers new album, of course it is Swoon – done by Blaze Trip and has been caned by Kissy and others – bit of a banger. And there is a remix of a Kelis track too. Basstastic.

The Chemical Brothers – Swoon (Blaze Tripp Remix) by Blaze Tripp

Kelis – 22nd Century (Blaze Tripp Remix) by Blaze Tripp

Brazilian electro outfit Pristine Blusters sent over some tracks to listen and were glad he did – looks like South America is the place to be at the moment. First up, is version from a Bernard Wright song from 1981. Sounds very disco, so if you liked Tommie Sunshine remix for Fake Blood’s song, I Think I Like It, you may love their remix as well. Also, theres a remix made in collaboration with a fella called DJ Mulher for Aloe Blacc’s song I Need a Dollar. If you’re into b-more-ish stuff, give-a-listen!

Bernard Wright – Just Chillin’ Out (Pristine Blusters Remix) by Pristine Blusters

Aloe Blacc – I Need a Dollar (Pristine Blusters & DJ Mulher ‘Millionaire’ Remix) by Pristine Blusters

We are celebrating that fact that Harder Blogger Faster is one year old today and we can’t quite believe it. We have been going 12 months – to be honest we totally forgot and just remembered that it’s the 15th today. Which means we started exactly 365 days ago and here’s a little taster of what we have done.

Over the last 12 months we have brought you; 22 Reviews, 19 Videos, Over 140 news articles, 60 mixes from artist’s across the world, 19 interviews, 49 features, and 89 downloads – all for free.

And we want to say thank you to all artists, PR’s, label owners, readers, fellow bloggers and finally friends and family – who have helped us on our journey and one thing is for sure we will be carrying on for many years to come.

HBF Team.

Being the main man for A&R at Great Stuff Records, Rainer Weichhold, knows a thing or two about music; Rainer has guided the creative direction of Great Stuff for many years and is one of the most astute music gurus in Berlin.

After a 2 year hiatus, Rainer Weichhold returned to dance music in late 2009 with his with amazing Flashmobbing EP, with a little help from fellow Berliners Juan Sanchez and Kaiserdisco, it charted all over Europe and has been gaining praise from all four corners of the world.

We got in contact with Great Stuff to see if he would produce a mix for our Podcast series; he said yes, and he hasn’t let us down with an amazing hour mix that showcases the talents of Great Stuff and Berlin in general.

Here is the first of a new Harder Blogger Faster podcast series that will be mixed by yours truly and other guest DJ’s.

This week’s session is Deep House enterprise by  Lumino & HBF back to back Live on Traktor.

Untitled – Lunino Music

Dennis Ferrer – Hey Hey (Vox Mix)

Pitto – Feeling (Joris Voorn Cant Click This Feeling When It Hits Mix)

Christian Smith & Reset Reboot – Air Miles

360 – Neon

Glimpse & Martin Eyerer – Southern Soul (Stephan Hinz remix)

Etienne De Crecy – Suck

Rodriguez Jr – Chicky Chicky

Etienne De Crecy – Grokster

No Regualar – Play Owe Me (Deniz Kurtel Remix)

Horacio – It Is Because

iO – Cabaret

Elef.Ant – Hey Folks

La Merengue Downtempo Orchestra – Suru Siberia

D Ramirez & Matt Tolfrey – Bounce To Me (Lauhaus Remix)

DJ Madskillz – Surface

Shinedoe – Higher (Dj Madskillz Remix)

David Durango – Perfect Day (Matthias Meyer Remix)

Download here right click to download.