What started as a renegade party in the Mojave Desert hosted by four best friends has quickly grown into one of the dominant forces in the electronic music industry. Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs, & Porkchop are the masterminds behind Desert Hearts. The most obvious thing about this collective is the shared passion and appreciation about the music they’re curating – specifically, high energy tech-house music perfect for getting any party started. They are currently on their Take a Ride Tour that has spanned the U.S. stopping by key major cities and non-traditional tour stops in hopes of spreading their message of “House, Techno, & Love.” The tour has been successful even with their unique schedule and stops where they’ve been able to reach their following even in the most non-traditional markets for tech-house music.
If you are not familiar with Desert Hearts, one need look no further than the grass-roots following this crew has established through consistent sets at festivals across California such as Splash House, Lightning in a Bottle, Coachella, and Dirty Bird Campout that have established them as a true heavyweight of house and techno on the West Coast. The community they have developed around their collective is genuine and committed to the inclusive movement. The key ingredient to their success lies in the genuine intentions the four founders share which is visible with accessibility of the label’s music: all of their releases are free for download. This is just one of many things that separates this label from virtually any other right now (across genres) and fosters the communal unity that their fans have helped grow on an exponential scale. In a time when profit margins are the driving force behind a rapidly growing industry, it is safe to say that one need look no further than Desert Hearts for an appropriate introduction to house and techno that truly built its foundation upon the core principles that have made these genres last for decades, and for plenty more to come. But don’t just take my word for it, experience it for yourself at Public Works in San Francisco this Friday, October 27.
Written by Connor Tapley
