Desert Hearts - Gray Area

Who they are

• Mikey Lion

  San Diego · 9 bookings since Nov 2023

  “Part mythical desert harlequin, part modern soul conductor, Mikey Lion is more than a DJ––He’s a freak of nature and a controller of energy.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Part mythical desert harlequin, part modern soul conductor, Mikey Lion is more than a DJ––He’s a freak of nature and a controller of energy. The San Diego-native has earned a dusty mystique over the past few years as the center of the Desert Hearts movement and as a house and techno provocateur with a stage presence that suggests he will ride this wave all the way to the top. If there's one thing Mikey does well, it's get the party started. Lion has brought the mothafuckin' ruckus to the stages of Lightning in a Bottle, the dustiest storms at Burning Man, and The Do LaB at Coachella, earning nods from Claude VonStroke, Jamie Jones, and Green Velvet in the process. In doing so, Lion and his signature top hat have developed a boisterous voice in the House & Techno scene with strong tribal, hip-hop, and psychedelic elements. But it all started with Wu-Tang and Daft Punk. Lion first found his way behind the decks as a thirteen year old kid, scratching underground hip-hop records religiously after school. At Coachella as a seventeen year old, he witnessed that legendary Daft Punk performance on the same night he tasted his first dose of psychedelics. The show had such a monumental impact on him, he gave up Hip-Hop and became a House DJ the very next day. After honing his craft with weekly marathon DJ sessions at Sala Razzmatazz in Barcelona, Mikey was introduced to Burner culture at Lightning in a Bottle, 2011. It was at his first Burning Man in 2011 that he found a community calling and merged forces with his brother Porkchop, life long friends Marbs & Deep Jesus, and the inimitable Lee Reynolds to form The Desert Hearts Crew. In November 2012, Desert Hearts began as a seedy, 200-person renegade gathering deep in the Mojave Desert. The intrepid crew barely survived a set of extreme weather conditions and unfortunate circumstances, but that first party sparked a fire. The entire point of that first Desert Hearts was to create as much love as humanly possible, and now that same gathering has evolved into the darling of the West Coast house and techno scene. The Bi-annual festival is capped at 3500 attendees in order to create the best possible vibe. Built upon beautiful people getting as weird as possible to deep and trippy house and techno, Desert Hearts has already achieved iconic status in the North American Festival Scene. Desert Hearts has given rise to a family of thousands and it's safe to call it a bonafide movement of love. And while Desert Hearts Records launched in 2014 as a totally-free record label, pushes the sonic aesthetic of the scene, the crew’s busy international calendar of bookings has the DH message spreading far and wide. At the center of it all is Mikey Lion, the dusty prince of desert hearts, a beacon of weird far and wide, and one of this generation’s most compelling agents of love.
  SoundCloud ↗
  Their RA profile lists Desert Hearts Records.

  often with Arianna Danae, Eats Everything, SHADED, none of them here that night

• Lee Reynolds

  Los Angeles · 9 bookings since Sep 2023

  “Originally from England, Lee Reynolds moved to California in 1988 to ride BMX bikes.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Originally from England, Lee Reynolds moved to California in 1988 to ride BMX bikes. After numerous injuries he switched his focus from one pair of wheels to another, and started DJing in '92, quickly beginning to throw parties in the San Diego area, and focusing on the ambient and psychedelic sounds of the time.. an influence that will always remain. Not content with just chillin' out the newly ..
  SoundCloud ↗
  Their RA profile lists Desert Hearts Records and Where The Heart Is.

  Last at Brooklyn Mirage in Sep · often with Arianna Danae, Eats Everything, SHADED, none of them here that night

• Marbs

  Los Angeles · 9 bookings since Sep 2023

  “Raised in Southern California with the now notoriously known motley crew called Desert Hearts, Marbs, an artistic kid, was primarily influenced by legends like Pink Floyd and Tool, while also listening to underground hip hop, reggae, and rock, displaying his no holds barred love for all genres from an early age.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Raised in Southern California with the now notoriously known motley crew called Desert Hearts, Marbs, an artistic kid, was primarily influenced by legends like Pink Floyd and Tool, while also listening to underground hip hop, reggae, and rock, displaying his no holds barred love for all genres from an early age. Flash forward to San Francisco's Love Fest, art cars roaming the city, house music spilling from speakers, and Marbs’ musical tastes were forever changed thanks to ruler of the house music game and party guru, Lee Burridge. 

 After years of djing the San Diego, LA, and Burning Man party circuits, the Desert Hearts crew took it upon themselves to throw their own kind of party. One built on love, acceptance, and strictly, House and Techno, their 2012 one time gathering of 200 people in the Mojave (the coldest one ever, we swear!!) has turned into one of the most talked about and adored boutique festivals in the US. None of which could be possible without Marbs, lovingly coined, "Papa Bear", he is truly the backbone of the project behind the scenes, where he runs most of the logistics with a steady hand and a humble heart. He’s easily one of the nicest guys on the planet and is the most modest of the crew, which is insane given his endless barrage of talents beyond his musical endeavors. While Desert Hearts catapults successfully into the scene as a major player through their twice yearly festival, touring internationally throwing parties under the moniker City Hearts, and launching a (free!) record label, Marbs continues to hone his production skills and also blows the art game out of the water, hand drawing all of the label’s artwork and inspiring tattoo artists everywhere. 

Marbs’ musical talents and humble dj presence commands any dance floor with his sounds of mystical darkness and whimsical tribal rhythms; the night sky is the limit for this King of Darkness. With a sound like no other, a heart of gold, and a determination matched by few, Marbs is sure to lead this movement of love until the very happy end.
  SoundCloud ↗
  Their RA profile lists Desert Hearts Records.

  Last at Brooklyn Mirage in Sep · often with Chellzz, Arianna Danae, Justin Marchacos, none of them here that night

• Porky

  5 bookings since Sep 2023

  Last at Brooklyn Mirage in Sep · often with OMRI., Matisa, LP Giobbi, none of them here that night

• Eskuche

  New York City · 10 bookings since Aug 2023

  SoundCloud ↗
  Their RA profile lists VIVa MUSiC, Relief Records, Nervous Records, Hot Creations and 6 more.

  Last at Superior Ingredients in Aug · often with Gavin Gone, LEFTI, Sam Divine, none of them here that night