Marbs
Growing Pains: How Desert Hearts Festival Fared—And Progressed—In Its Expansive New Home
One of the lamentable circumstances with growth is the inevitable change that comes with it. In the case of a prospering music festival and esteemed brand, this means losing the tight-knit appeal it once had in favor of expansion for its thriving legion of followers. This is the repercussion currently being felt by organizers of this year’s Desert Hearts festival, a fallout that will ultimately benefit them going forward. Porky, Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds and Marbs. Brian Ngo The multi-day camping and arts festival is commemorating a decade since its original Mojave Desert rendezvous. Since then, the team at Desert Hearts has continuously broadened their amenities while staying true to their inclusionary standards and love for house and techno. Consequently, the brand’...
Marbs Broadens Scope of Desert Hearts Black Imprint With latest EP, “Minds on the Run”
As a flourishing record label under the Desert Hearts umbrella, Desert Hearts Black has long been the home for acts who flirt with the more melodic tones of house and techno. However, in hopes of targeting a global audience, the imprint is expanding its Rolodex to include a more varied sound loaded with grit and groove. At the helm of this new sonic journey is label head and Desert Hearts co-founder Marbs. The Southern California native has released an introspective EP born out of the confines of isolation from the global pandemic. Titled Minds on the Run, the project features three original recordings alongside a remix from Spanish techno veteran Oscar L. Described by Marbs as a “twisted trip through my mind and an exploration of the sounds I love,” the EP wraps itself in...
Desert Hearts to Return In 2022, Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary In New SoCal Location
After succumbing to the wrath of the global pandemic and missing out on two years of revelry, the organizers of Desert Hearts have announced the festival’s return in 2022 with a new location. Celebrating a decade of house, techno, and love, the eclectic techno and house music fest will take place April 28th to May 2nd, calling Lake Perris its new home. Situated approximately two hours outside of Los Angeles and San Diego, Lake Perris State Recreation Area is a serene lakeside oasis surrounded by the suburban landscape that is the Inland Empire. The lake is situated in a mountain-rimmed valley and offers amenities including beaches, swimming, premium campsites, bathrooms with showers, and plentiful trees and grasslands. This, of course, means that the Desert Hearts collective wi...
How Desert Hearts Co-Founder Marbs Used Cannabis to Cope With COVID-19
Blessings are tough enough to count in the age of COVID-19, but if you’re a Desert Hearts fan in Denver last weekend, that’s probably why you went to Church. In their first Denver show in almost two years, the Church Nightclub hosted Mikey Lion, Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Porky for a triumphant collaborative performance. Through the stained glass portraits and glittering lights beneath the steeple, a five-hour barrage of house music bliss enraptured the sold-out crowd. A true blessing to music fans—especially given the impact of the pandemic—the event almost didn’t happen because despite being vaccinated in the weeks approaching the show, one of the crew, Marbs, contracted the virus. That meant everyone to get tested—and fast. Mikey Lion and Lee Reynolds throwing down behind the decks a...
Dance Music’s Top Livestream Events: May, 2020
Just because you’re stuck at home, that’s no reason to let those dance moves get dull. Our prescription? A deep feet-first dive into a dancefloor, of course! There’s no shortage of phenomenal livestreams to enjoy this month either. For a dance fan wading through the sea of options, it’s enough to feel like swimming in cement boots, but don’t fret—we can help. Put your feet up and peruse some of the best below. With this handy guide, we’ve hand-picked our favorites for your listening pleasure. It may be true that there’s less to do at home while we wait out the COVID-craze, but with heavy-hitters like Diplo, Dada Life, and VNSSA pumping out steady streams with new music, May is still absolutely packed with plenty to be hyped about. Credit: Courtesy of Wuki Global Dance Digi...
