After snapping up Britain-based Cream Holdings earlier this year, Live Nation have announced their acquisition of electronic music promoter HARD Events.

Known for high-profile electronic music festivals like HARD Summer and Holy Ship!, L.A.-based HARD Events puts on festivals geared toward the dedicated electronic music fan. HARD Event performer-rosters tend to lurk just below the surface of what is considered the mainstream for electronic music, causing some to attribute the acquisition as the latest in a series of moves to cash in on the genre’s sudden swell in popularity. In addition to their own events, HARD partners with Jam Cruise’s Cloud 9 and Bowery Presents on the annual Holy Ship! cruise.

If nothing else, the merger will do wonders for Live Nation’s cred in the electronic music world: HARD festivals are associated with many well-respected members of the genre’s community such as Soulwax, James Murphy and Trent Reznor, who tapped HARD Events founder Gary Richards to throw a promotional event for the Reznor-scored film Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Richards will continue to run HARD Events under his new parent company, but will now report to Cream Holdings founder and President of Live Nation Electronic Music James Barton.