The Deep Dark Soul of Desert Hearts Black 



Mikey Lion on how Desert Hearts and Lee Foss turned two horrible holiday surprises into happy holidays for all







A significant driver of Desert Hearts’ ongoing story — perhaps as much as their namesake festival’s coronation as Best Boutique Festival in the world by DJ Mag or any of their other accolades and accomplishments — is the crew’s fostering of a cohesive community of partygoers around their home base on the southwestern tip of California.


A standout example is the DH practice of gifting every attendee at the festival with the same DH-branded necklace, be it pitted copper, iridescent chrome, or handmade wooden emblem — the latter being the case for the earliest editions of the festival over a decade ago.


“We have a faction of Desert Hearts that’s our Helping Hearts Initiative. We’ve done a lot of stuff for the homeless and needy children over the years,” explains Desert Hearts co-founder Mikey Lion. “For our Holiday Hearts party [in San Diego] which we always have right before Christmas, we’ve always thought it’s a really cool way for our community to get involved and to just give back. So what we end up doing is hosting a big toy drive right at the door — people bring a toy to give away, and in exchange, we give everyone a Desert Hearts necklace. So it’s a really good way to incentivize people to give back, and also it just brings our community together for doing something outside of dance music.”







As label head at Desert Hearts Records, Lion is laser-focused on maintaining the group’s cultural relevance by driving the ongoing sounds and aesthetics of the brand — both through the label’s ongoing releases and through their signature namesake festival. But there’s also attention paid by himself and co-founders Marbs, Porky, and Lee Reynolds toward how all of the above works holistically.


“We’re all part of a society here, and Desert Hearts is a small niche community within that society,” says Lion. “When we host these Holiday Hearts parties and give people the opportunity to give back to the greater society, it’s bridging the gap of what we’re trying to accomplish — which is spreading as much love and positive energy in the world as possible — and really inspiring people from inside our community into that greater society that we live in.”


Although the dedication to positively impact the community at large leads to sometimes predictable holiday traditions for the Desert Hearts crew, such as the toy drive, 2022 brought two big surprises.


“When we were figuring out where we were going to deliver our toys [this year], we reached out to [the San Diego County Foster Parent Association]. They were just through the roof, just completely gushing!” Lion recounts excitedly.



“They had this huge flood [in] their warehouse, so they lost all the toys that they’d been collecting for months leading up to when they give out all their toys to the children,” Lion remembers. “So when we hit them up asking if we could help them out, they were literally telling us that we were like real life Santa Claus!”






“These were the only toys these kids were gonna receive this year. For us, that meant everything. We told our community, and that really fired everyone up to get involved and bring stuff — just to make a real impact on these kids.”


As unexpected a surprise as the winter flood of a warehouse full of donated holiday toys was, that probably wasn’t as shocking to the Desert Hearts crew as the wild surprise they experienced on the day of the Holiday Hearts party.


“We had all our ducks in a row. We’d been wanting to do a warehouse party in San Diego for a long time. We finally found a spot that we were very happy with, they had it fully permitted and everything,” Lion states with incredulity. “Then, the day of the party, I received a phone call from a [police] lieutenant who was basically telling me this party was not permitted! That the warehouse did not have all their ducks in a row. And, [the police] were going to take the steps to shut it down if we didn’t shut it down right then and there.”



What to do, then? Sans action, there would be no party. More importantly, there would be no physical place to collect donations for the toy drive.


“We went on this mad scramble trying to figure out what we were going to do, and found out that our friend Lee Foss was playing in town,” Lion tells Gray Area. “We had all of our ticket buyers basically funneled into his party, and Lee invited us to play. It was great! It was a really cool party just getting to play in front of two different crowds coming together.”


“Ultimately, it was a huge win for us. Not only were we able to refund all the ticket buyers to our party cause everyone had paid for a warehouse party, but then we were able to add Lee Foss to our [holiday party] lineup!” exclaims Lion with a degree of reverence. “We’ve always had a great relationship with Lee Foss, have always really respected his parties and his music. So it was cool to link up with one of our heroes and just be able to get embraced. It felt really good!”


After a successful toy drive during a turbulent yet rewarding holiday season, Lion and the rest of the Desert Hearts crew have lots to focus on moving forward. But looking back at this past holiday season’s turmoil, what does Lion think in retrospect?


“It always feels good to give back. It always feels good to figure out a problem and solve it when your back’s against the wall,” concludes Lion. “Our whole mission has always been to spread as much love and positive energy in the world as possible.”



A Desert Hearts and Lee Foss Christmas Story

Desert Hearts Festival 2023

United States

The Torch - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

May house, techno, and love set you free.

WHY DESERT HEARTS?

Desert Hearts Festival, one of North America’s most celebrated boutique electronic music events, has announced brand new location for 2023, under The Torch - Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 

Made with an abundance of love and attention to detail, Desert Hearts offers an elaborate yet intimate take on live music that can only be found at this unique paradisal escapade.

With an ever-growing community keen to get a taste of the idiocentric festival, 2023 is set to be its best year yet.

CODE OF COMMUNITY

A fundamental factor of the DH experience is its collective nature and code of community, which has been built into the festival since its inception in 2012. 

Cherishing the importance of unity, its four founders (Lee Reynolds, Marbs, Porky, and label head Mikey Lion) go by some core values that quite frankly, should be at the heart of every festival.

Inclusivity, creative freedom, and acceptance remain front and center for 2023. It is this exact spirit that makes Desert Hearts one of the wildest and most authentic community-driven festival experiences out there.

Foster free creative self-expression and self-discovery.

Encourage free thinking and individuality.

Look out for one another and lift each other up in a positive way.

Strive to give back to our local communities.

Encourage participation and self-reliance.

Believe in the balance of both the sacred and the temporal.

Inspire one another to proliferate these values in the world.

Whether you’ve got some tripped-out clothes or costumes, paintings or art instalations, or like to dance like nobody is watching, this is the place to do it. 

With a very much ‘you bring the vibes’ tenor, Desert Hearts sets an example of what can happen when we lead with love.

VENUE

Sitting alongside the east-end arches of Peristyle Plaza and under the flicker of the Olympic Cauldron, The Torch brings a unique, open-air venue experience within the legendary stadium. 

Boasting a flexible capacity ranging from 3,500 to 10,000, The Torch is the perfect setting for any type of musical performance, sporting event, convention, and more. With its state-of-the-art production capabilities, multiple vendor merchandise or concession locations, and VIP areas with exclusive entry and viewing locations, The Torch is set to be home to some of the city’s best live events all year round.

The forward-thinking founders behind the escapist, cult-classic SoCal music festival have returned to its ‘one stage, one vibe’ policy as a way of encouraging participation, self-expression, and community, all under one single dancefloor and the realm of dance music.

LINE-UP

It remains the musical offering that makes Desert Hearts one of the best-curated parties on the planet.

With a line-up intrinsically created by the Desert Hearts crew, it is the nomadic journeys of Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs, and Porky that inspire the festival's unique roster every year. 

Between each edition of the internationally acclaimed festival, the Desert Hearts crew hit the road to grace the booths of some of the world's most celebrated parties, where they become further entrenched in the sounds of tomorrow, whilst brushing shoulders with the scene’s foremost flag bearers.

It is essentially the group's collective networking that helps them find new artists and talents from around the world, which has aided the curation of the festival's biggest and most wide-reaching lineup to date.

Pulling out all of the stops, an array of big names have been reeled for the occasion, as well as artists from further afield, who are on the brink of their DJ career take-offs.

Highlights of the explosive docket include an epic B2B performance from Chicago house music legends Derrick Carter and Mark Farina, as well as Gene Farris. 

Detroit underground genesis’ and two of the city’s house music champions will also take center stage, DJ Minx and DJ Holographic each commanding the decks over the course of the weekend.

The opulent billing continues with multi-genre pioneer Skream, UK dynamo Dusky, Turbo label-head TIGA, Dirtybird boss Claude VonStroke, a debut from lo-fi originator DJ Seinfeld, alongside dancefloor favorite Justin Martin, progressive house sensation Miss Monique, Hot creations founder Lee Foss, elrow resident Tini Gessler, 90’s rave revival production duo Prospa, and Club Bad’s percussive house frontrunner Melé. 

Additional highlights include Polish house duo Catz ’n Dogz, emerging tech house producer Eddy M, and next-generation house risers VNSSA and Mary Droppinz.

Dipping further into more esoteric and left-of-center stylings, CINTHIE, Soul Clap, Lubelski, Partiboi69, and newer names such as Atish, Eskuche, Rybo, as well as cinematic techno producer Rinzen, a B2B set from Cascandy and Beth Lydi, and Wyatt Marshall, Evan Casey, Morpéi B2B Ofier live and Tara Brooks, among others.

Of course, no Desert Hearts celebration would be complete without an appearance from the curators themselves. All four members of the DH crew will also command the crowd over the weekend.

This is the perfect way to kickstart your summer here in Los Angeles.






























LP Giobbi, Mary Droppinz, Rinzen, Lubelski, Andreas Henneberg & More Share How The San Diego Crew Has Positively Impacted Their Lives & Boosted Their Careers







Not long after I moved to San Francisco in 2013, a friend played me Mikey Lion’s set from the first Desert Hearts Festival the year prior. I was instantly hooked and listened to the mix and my favorite deep and sultry cut from it, Elektrochemie’s "Pleasure Seeker," countless times. Then and there, I became a fan of deep house, Mikey Lion, and Desert Hearts. Consequently, my dance music journey veered into more underground sounds and scenes. My friend told us tales of the infamously snowy and intimate first festival and took us to the very chilly and fun fall 2014 DH Fest, where I felt at home amongst the friendly weirdos reliably found on the dance floor.

On May 4, Desert Hearts Festival returns with their 11th(!) edition at their newer home at Lake Perris with a stacked lineup featuring Catz’ N Dogz, Claude VonStroke, DJ Holographic, Derrick Carter B2B Mark Farina, Skream, Atish, DJ Seinfeld, Dusky, Tiga, Lubelksi, Mary Droppinz, Rinzen, and many more. They'll also be bringing their lively parties across the country again, including in New York and Detroit in March. What magical memories await you under the Desert Hearts disco ball?

It’s been amazing to see Desert Hearts continue to grow and expand while still feeling like a big, wacky family. And the growth hasn’t only positively impacted its four pillars (Mikey, Porky, Marbs, and Lee Reynolds), it’s had a profound impact on many of the fellow artists they’ve shared the spotlight with via their label, festival, and global events. Their positive reach has spread beyond the stage to countless fans who’ve had life-changing moments on their dance floors. Inspired by a Facebook comment from piano house queen LP Giobbi about DH’s powerful impact on her DJ career, we reached out to her and other DJs and fans for their stories on how the House Techno Love crew has positively impacted their lives.

LP Giobbi, Mary Droppinz, Rinzen, Lubelski, and Andreas Henneberg shared that working with Desert Hearts has dramatically affected their careers.



For LP, getting asked by Mikey to play a Desert Hearts livestream early in the 2020 lockdown was pivotal in lifting her mood and keeping her in the game. Without any gigs, she considered looking for an alternate career to stay afloat. At the time, she was DJing on her own channel, and her friends and regular collaborators SOFI TUKKER would “raid” their viewers over to her after their daily stream. Later, Insomniac would tap her for regular streams, but before that, when her following was still small, DH noticed her and reached out, and everything changed.

“I had an extremely modest social following at the time and right after the [DH] stream I checked my IG and saw that my count went up a couple hundred, which was insane for me then! And people were tagging me in their stories sending me kind messages. I had no idea just how badly I needed that boost on an emotional level,” LP says.

“One of the greatest gifts anyone can be given is belief in themselves and this community did just that. As a DJ, you get fueled by the energy of a dance floor and I was obviously deeply missing that during the pandemic. I was really surprised to feel a similar sense of belonging and energy and joy through the DH Twitch chat, which is a testament to how positive that community is.”

Partly inspired by Burning Man, Desert Hearts borrows the principles of radical self-expression and radical inclusion as a core part of their community. They champion eclectic sounds and trippy art on the label and at the festival, never limited to one sound or aesthetic. They continue to celebrate artists that join their family for the long haul, but are also seek to celebrate new talent and seasoned champs. And with their ever-growing fanbase, everyone is welcome and encouraged to dress to express, and let their freak flag fly.

Los Angeles-based Mary Droppinz also officially connected with DH as a DJ through livestreams. However, she’d been regularly attending their festival since 2015 and worked on their marketing team before she quit to focus full-time on DJing. Both as a fan, former coworker, and guest DJ, she’s felt supported by DH.

“Being a Desert Hearts DJ is honestly my greatest achievement. I personally had that as my goal when I started following this dream; to play DH was my first DJ dream. I didn’t even plan that an opportunity would present itself for me to work with them and build a relationship with them like it did. I noticed a growth and depth in my community 100 percent since going to DH Festivals since 2015 and then DJing for them [in 2020],” Droppinz tells us.



“They were always so supportive of me as an artist, keeping up-to-date on my latest and encouraging me… [When] the pandemic hit, Mikey, Tim, Phil, and I started collaborating on the Twitch livestreams I’d host on DHTV. It was honestly so dope to go through it together like that and see how massive the whole scene got on Twitch. I feel we all went through some crazy dimensional time warp and we just kept the vibes and beats strong over the interwebs. We will never let anything stop us from spreading the love through music! It really is awesome to see how much the streams impacted people.”

LA’s cinematic techno technician Rinzen joined the crew in 2019 to help Marbs, and Evan Casey launch the Desert Hearts Black sublabel, a home for darker sounds echoing the mood of late nights and early mornings, with their collaborative Torus EP. He made his debut at the fest that year with a sunrise set, and has remained a core part of DH Black.




“I’ve always thought that Desert Hearts attracts one of the most loving, fun, and music-savvy crowds in the US (if not the world), and it’s been a huge privilege to both perform and release music for this community. As my own career evolves, Desert Hearts have continued to give me some very incredible opportunities. As a producer, I’ve released seven tracks with them now (with more on the way). As a DJ, they’ve consistently put me on the road for their Desert Hearts Black showcases,” Rinzen explains. “Beyond that, I’ve grown especially close to Marbs and am proud to call him a good friend. I would describe the impact they’ve had on my career as a fortuitous blessing (is that redundant?) and something I’m continually grateful for. The biggest thing I’ve learned from Desert Hearts (and specifically Marbs) is actually a DJ perspective: it’s the power and importance of keeping a steady, relentless groove in a set. To choose my breakdown moments wisely, and to otherwise keep things moving along.”

For LA tech house champ and Percomaniacs head Lubelski, DH played a significant role in supporting his rise and inspiring him to really “go there” with his sound.

“It’s obviously had a big impact on my early growth under my Lubelski moniker. With DH Records, Mikey gave me a platform to thrust my weird house tunes into the world. And with the festivals and parties, the DH crew let me show how deep my crates could go. It all set the tone for how much I could push the envelope with my sets and releases,” Lubelski writes.

“Getting to know Mikey, Porky, Lee, and Marbs, as well as all the other wonderful weirdos by proxy has been an absolute pleasure. Going to my first DH Festival really opened my mind to the possibilities of expression in music and life in this sort of uncompromising, unadulterated fashion. Having their trust to push my vision of music on their label and parties fills me with gratitude. Obviously, meeting the attendees and making new fans at the shows has been amazing. The dance floor at Desert Hearts Festival is one of my favorite places on earth.”

And for their overseas brethren, Berlin rave mainstay Andreas Henneberg, DH’s continued support helped him finally break into the US market. (If you want to catch him in SoCal, he’ll bring his Cascandy alias to the festival again this year.)

“The Desert Hearts family had and still has a massive impact on my US career. Before I became a part of the crew in 2015/2016, I just had a few US bookings every now and then, mostly East Coast, NY, and Miami. The market is huge and completely different from the European scene. It’s difficult to get a foothold without any connections. My releases on the Desert Hearts label, the festivals, and the countless City Hearts raves had a huge impact.



The Desert Hearts fans, or as they say, their family, also feels very special. They welcomed me with open arms right from the beginning and showered me with love. Rather than being DJs and fans, it is kind of a big group of friends that get together, and you make great connections every time,” Henneberg reflects.

“I think one of the big differences to the rest of the world is that Americans tell you when they really like something. Positive feedback can be pretty rare nowadays. The kindness and positive vibes everybody contributes blew my mind right from the first time I went to the festival site. That’s not to be taken for granted.

Also, the friendships we developed over the years mean a lot to me. There is a lot of hugging going on every time we see each other. I sit here in Berlin, watching the whole thing grow. It’s fascinating how a little party in the dirt, some impartial dreams, and a lil’ bit of love can explode to what it is now.”


The messages from fans who reached out to us echoed the powerful connection on the DH dance floor and within their community.

Naomi from Washington DC discovered DH almost accidentally but instantly knew she was at home, amongst the colorful revelers in the often-dark-color-donning town. “The first time I walked into a Desert Hearts party was 2016 at Flash in DC Everyone was dressed in beautiful bright colors and the vibe was incredibly friendly, I knew I was at home. I had never heard of the label or party but after that night I was hooked. I’ve been to so many DH parties since then, [had] chats with Mikey, and felt the best feeling ever when you get gifted a DH necklace. I’ve never felt out of place.”

For Phoenix DJ Kody Black, DH has continued to inspire him and his sound. “I have been DJing for around eight years and I have been a fan of Desert Hearts since I first heard a mix from their label on SoundCloud back in 2016. My fandom really kicked in when I first saw them at Gem & Jam Festival in 2017. I’ll never forget walking into the late-night stage and Lee Reynolds was playing an insane house remix of ‘Low Rider.’ The energy all four of them had, and the vibe of all the fans in the audience was palpable. Over the years, they have become the biggest influence in my sound. Meeting them at their events and seeing how down-to-earth they are confirmed what I’ve felt in their music the whole time.”







For @charnizard from Denver, Desert Hearts is the best birthday party she could ask for. “Desert Hearts Festival is on my birthday every year and I’ve met some of my favorite people in the world there. Kevin Knapp and I had met in Berlin and reunited our friendship at the festival. I also brought an incredible girl named Lucy who was able to capture the sheer love and vibrancy of the festival as an incredible videographer.”

Hailing from San Diego, DH’s home, Zaquari’s birthday also falls during the festival. DH was his introduction to house, and he’s been hooked ever since. “DH has had a monumental impact on my life not only as an artist but in a spiritually healing way as well. My first house music event ever was my first DH event… [And] my first DH festival in 2017 was a pivotal shift in my life’s journey. Being submerged for three straight days in that lovingly chaotic and unique festival experience was truly soul-fulfilling. DH has created a safe, loving, and supportive community, where individuals can feel free and comfortable to express themselves fully.

As a dance music lover, you dream of being a part of something so special… The work those boys have put in have inspired so many new DJs and collectives/festivals to adopt that same ethos of House, Techno, and Love!”

If you’re ready to get a healthy helping of house techno love, snag your Desert Hearts Festival 2023 tickets, which go on sale this Friday, February 3, at 10 a.m. PST. 

Artists & Fans Share the Positive Impact of Desert Hearts 

Whether you're a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to Desert Hearts, there's no doubt that the uniquely curated festival will offer a variety of the headiest house music around.




Born in the Mojave Desert, Desert Hearts Festival is a community-built event filled with surprise sets, live art, healing workshops, and more. Now hosted in Lake Perris, the yearly multi-disciplinary event celebrates art, nature, and music, encourages radical participation, and leave no trace camping.




The Desert Hearts mantra is "House, Techno Love," and there's plenty of that to go around thanks to the freewheeling whimsy and genre-fluid exploration of Desert Hearts founders Mikey Lion, Marbs, Porky, and Lee Reynolds. If you're missing the positive vibes of the Desert Hearts community, revisit the magic through five of the best sets from the festival.




1. Lee Reynolds - Desert Hearts Festival 2019

Lee Reynolds firmly establishes his status as a music industry legend in this expansive 90-minute set from Desert Hearts' 2019 iteration. Reynolds locks in from the start, running through a pulsating tracklist of toe-tapping tech house that slides through a spectrum of electrifying intensity. With this set, it's no question why he's called the "Papa" of Desert Hearts!




2. Mikey Lion - Desert Hearts Festival 10 Year Anniversary

Mikey Lion's return to the decks post-pandemic marks an emotional journey for the Desert Hearts leader, and the feeling of elation is palpable in this two-hour celebration. Speaking about his set at the 10-year anniversary of Desert Hearts, he shares, "this party for me was three years in the making with the constant setbacks from the pandemic, and I've literally dreamed about playing this set for our Desert Hearts Family since 2019. Not only did I play my best, but we all had so much pent-up energy going into this festival and I truly believe we expulsed all the love and positivity we had inside us into the universe during these two hours, which made for the most radical DJ experience I've ever had while surrounded by my family and friends. If you're an up-and-coming DJ watching this, I hope one day you'll get to experience something like this because it was one of the most incredible moments of my life. This is what this music and this movement are all about."




3. Marbs B2B Evan Casey - Desert Hearts Festival 2019

Raise your consciousness in this mind-bending mix from Desert Hearts co-founder Marbs and Evan Casey. The pair plunge into an interdimensional world through selections of panoramic progressive house and melodic techno. This two-hour winding journey is ideal for long drives and late nights.




4. SHADED - Desert Hearts Festival 10 Year Anniversary

Dim the lights and pop on SHADED's minimal tech set for an immersive dive into the deep end of house and techno. Emphasizing the cool factor, SHADED wears his sunglasses at night as he spins a mix inspired by the sounds of Detroit and Chicago with a modern flair.




5. Porky - Desert Hearts Festival 10 Year Anniversary

This sunrise set is where to go if in need of great vibes that fill the space between relaxing and revitalizing. From the storybook stage design to the steadily rising mood of the music, a mushroom-capped Porky wakes the crowd up with joyous disco and atmospheric house. There's an instantly-iconic Bloc Party needle drop hidden here too, which elevates the energy of the entire party.



Explore The Sound of Desert Hearts Festival Through 5 YouTube Sets

Mikey Lion’s musical escapades see him dance through his hip-hop roots and psychedelic sonics, all with an overarching theme of uplifting house beats. To commemorate his talent, we’ve compiled a list of five tracks that define his life-affirming sound.

1. Mikey Lion, Justin Martin - Though the Fog

Lion says “Through the Fog” derives inspiration from his experiences navigating mental health. “When things are really good, you feel amazing, and things are just working and firing, but right around the corner can always be this fucking dark period of time,” he says. “For me personally, I get pretty bad brain fog, and my memory goes to shit when I’m not taking care of myself.”




This 2021 release encapsulates the cloudy haze that rolls in when mental health turns dark. Deep melodics warp and wobble over a sweltering bassline catapulting you into a cascading atmosphere of clarity and wistful longing.




“For me, that track ‘Through the Fog’ is a representation of the highs and lows, and ultimately, it ends on a high because that’s where I wanna be going. I’m gonna get through it, and I thought it came out pretty sonically close to that feeling that I get,” Mikey said.




2. Mikey Lion, Lubelski, Jackson Englund - When I’m With You

“When I’m With You” is a shuffling saccharine ballad that utilizes a poppier approach than other numbers in Lion’s discography. Behind synthy, chromatic keys, Jackson Englund (brother of Desert Hearts regular Anabel Englund) swoons, “When I’m with you, I feel so high. When I’m with you.” Lion, Lubelski, and Englund meditate on the power of hope and belonging with this melodic showcase of their vast skill set.




3. Mikey Lion - Above the Clouds

This lilting synthy ballad replicates the airy feeling of dancing aboveground. The lightly tickled piano synths deliver a head in the clouds atmosphere that trails on the heels of “Through the Fog,” or, depending on how you view it, the calm before the storm. “Above the Clouds” dropped in January 2021, a few months before “Through the Fog.” Since the single tap dances on the positive elements of maintaining mental health, they could very well form a sensical sonic sequence. “Above the Clouds” encourages listeners to trudge through difficult times and achieve the peak feeling of soaring through the atmosphere.




4. Mikey Lion - This is the Beat

“This is the Beat” is an anthem that came together organically during a trip to El Salvador. Mikey visited the Central American country with the intention of surfing, but he soon discovered the hotel he booked came with a million-dollar recording studio. Luckily, Mikey knew the owner of the hotel, who encouraged him to use the facility at his discretion.




“It wasn’t forced at all,” he says. “I was going on vacation and I had access to the studio,” He told Gray Area. “So I had some downtime in between the surf being blown out. I couldn’t think of a better thing.”







5. Sacha Robotti, Mikey Lion - Glide

“Glide” Was Mikey’s debut on Dirtybird. The smooth, rippling basslines and an earworm chorus are emblematic of the wonky, wonderfully weird Dirtybird sound, with wistful notes of both producers felt throughout. The catchy, nuanced tune utilizes percussive voicing to position itself as a fundamental piece in Lion’s discography. Halfway through the song, the crescendoing beat explodes into a gun cock and fire, expelling pent-up, energized movement. In its final moments, “Glide” flits behind steady, syncopated, tribal bass beats and fizzles out amidst bird coos.





Five Songs that Define Mikey Lion’s Expansive Sound

When Mikey Lion, Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Porky started throwing parties with a few dozen friends in the desert, even they couldn’t have imagined their ragtag dust-covered crew would grow to become the powerhouse of west coast house and techno music that it is today. More than ten years later, Desert Hearts Records and Desert Hearts Black musically represent two sides of the same stylish coin. Their music ranges from fun-loving, trippy, daytime house to weird, dark, and sometimes even malevolent techno. Like Enid Sinclair and Wednesday Addams, the differences between the two are night and day, but together they represent something exceptional.






Apart from sold-out tours, bookings in more than 20 different countries, a wildly successful music festival, an infectiously fashionable merch line, and an entourage of more than 30 music producers in tow, Desert Hearts is far from a flash in the pan. Emblematic anthems in their catalog, like Mikey Lion’s “Above the Clouds” and “For The Love,” flex bouncy, sunny songs. At the same time, tracks like “Helix” and “Torus” from Marbs induce a moonlit shuffling, face-melting bliss that is so irresistibly addictive that it may as well be drugs.




Whether you’re a Desert Hearts die-hard or you just want to hear what all the fuss is about, sit down next to a speaker, pump the tracks below into your ears, and join us on a journey that showcases the duality of house and techno as much as it distinguishes DH from their peers in the genre.








1. Andres Hennenberg, Mikey Lion - The Tortilla Rap

Uptempo grooves and reverberating vocals gel in this potent mix from Andres Hennenberg and Mikey Lion. The lyrics sum up the end result, saying, “I made a song about a tortilla. It actually was a wrap.” If you’re a sucker for synthy crescendos and soft highs, this one may as well be your anthem.




2. Marbs - Needed Time

Off-beat and heavy-hearted, Marbs doesn’t hold back – ever. Like his infamously creative visual designs, his decorative soundscapes will have you time-traveling back to the early warehouse days of modern techno. His magnetic seven-minute banger, “Needed Time,” is a token example.




3. Lee Reynolds - People Like You

Like a fine wine, Lee Reynolds’ music will get you lit. With braps and bloops that could only originate from the far end of known space, his club-thumping track “People Like You” is as much a journey to experience as it is a lure to the dancefloor.




4. Porky, Mitch Dodge - Chameleon

When it comes to getting weird, nobody does it like Porky. In 2020 he teamed up with Dirtybird regular Mitch Dodge for “Chameleon.” Today, the boisterously beated track, which is known for blending island drums and stripped-down hip-hop hooks, is a fixture in his sets on the road.




5. Mikey Lion, Lubelski, Jackson Englund - When I’m With You

The low-fi keys and jazz guitar that adorn the colorful builds in Mikey Lion’s hit piano house track “When I’m With You” is like a day by the pool for your earholes. Englund’s silky RÜFÜS-like vocals and Lubelski’s technical prowess take the song to a whole new level too.






6. RYBO, Lubelski - Favela Funk

If maracas were contagious, it would be easier to break down the many reasons why RYBO’s undulating track “Favela Funk” is so sick. The hest of this gritty ‘City Hearts’ styled serenade is reminiscent of Spring time block parties, but with an extra kick.







7. Rinzen, Marbs, Evan Casey - Ark

Rinzen’s cinematic repertoire shines through in the shimmery track “Ark.” Co-starring Evan Casey and Marbs, it’s a definitive Desert Hearts Black sound, shrouded in mystery with a prepossessive flair.




8. Beth Lydi - Jump the Couch

Tribal percussion, steady shifts, and raining highs distinguish Beth Lydi’s “Jump the Couch” as a walloping paean. In addition to a sweltering rhythm that intensifies through the life of the song, her sound is a colorful addition to the Desert Hearts label. It’s at home as much in the club as on “the Playa.”




9. Popof - Rubber (SHADED Thicc Body Remix)

Somehow futuristic and nostalgic at the same time, Popof’s tech house heater “Rubber” offers 8-bits with a lot of oomph. With beefed-up sways courtesy of SHADED, it’s one of the defining tracks on the artist’s 2021 EP, Hybrid.




10. Joyce Muniz, G.rizo, Lubelski - Deeper the Soul (Lubelski Remix) 

Kaleidoscopic vocals and rhythmic verses bridge the world of soul-hop with tech house in Joyce Muniz’s orgastic track “Deeper the Soul.” G.rizo’s charm throughout the track is palpable, while Lubelski’s pyrophoric touch puts a mad science-flavored spin on the song.




11. Tini Gessler - Acid

Basslines and upbeat allures may as well be signatures in Tini Gessler’s persona behind the decks. The flailing harmonies of her captivating track “Acid” serve as a reminder that she’s a powerhouse who adds something unique to the Desert Hearts family, while standing strong just fine on her own.




12. Kevin Knapp, Baby Luck, RYBO - Cute (RYBO Remix)

RYBO’s booty-shaking spin on Kevin Knapp’s club catalyzer “Cute” puts the song in third gear, making it perfect for club listening. With Baby Luck’s playful vocals laid on thick, it’s also a brilliant summer anthem with attitude to spare.







The Essential Desert Hearts Playlist

World-renowned DJ, producer, and cofounder of the Desert Hearts music movement Mikey Lion ventured into his DJ career at only 13 years old. He fell in love with hip-hop in the early 2000s and started laying down beats, picking up scratching as one of his favorite DJing techniques.



His parents noticed his growing musical interest and asked which instrument they could gift him. The 13-year-old hip-hop hound suggested Technics 1200s, much to their dismay. A few months after their initial disapproval, however, Mikey bought his own set of Technics 1200s and won over not only his parents but also his friends.



Even though the humble beginnings of his career started during his early teenage years, Mikey discovered his true passion for dance music in his later adolescence. “When I was 17, I went to my first Coachella,” he said during his Gray Area Spotlight interview. “My first festival. I didn't have any idea what I was getting into. That was the very first time that I took my very first ecstasy.”





It was there that Mikey solidified a turning point in his career and life path. “The very first time I ever heard dance music was at the debut of the Daft Punk pyramid,” he recalls with a contented grin. “In that moment, I was just like, ‘Fuck hip-hop. This is what I want to do with my life from now on.’”



The substance was by no means solely responsible for this revelation; Coachella 2006 is infamous for a spectacular dance music set only the likes of Daft Punk could pull off. “It was something else. It was one of those times when you could just see audio waves flying. I was in pure ecstasy for sure,” Mikey shared.



Mikey continued to DJ on his Technics 1200s, but instead of hip-hop beats, he aligned his tracks to trancier, dancier rhythms. In 2009, he began making music as well. Today Mikey is a producer, DJ, and one-fifth of the legendary coalition known as Desert Hearts, a movement dedicated to creating a community through house, techno, and love.



If Mikey didn’t witness Daft Punk’s legendary, evolutionary Coachella set, would he have remained a hip-hop DJ, would he have been influenced by another dance music trailblazer? It’s anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: He’s made a lasting mark on the music world.

How Daft Punk's Coachella Performance Inspired Mikey Lion to Pursue Dance Music 

“I started DJing when I was about 13 years old,” DJ, producer, and Desert Hearts cofounder Mikey Lion told Gray Area during our Spotlight interview. He explained that his passion for playing music emerged when he identified as a “massive hip-hop head who loved scratching.”



Mikey’s devotion to hip-hop set the tone for his early career. It introduced him to the expansive world of mixing and producing, although it took him a few months to prove to his biggest fans—his parents—that turntables belonged in the same category as guitars or pianos.





His parents noticed his devotion to music in his early teens, and when Mikey started high school, his parents urged him to further develop his musical prowess.



“My family’s amazing. They’ve always been my biggest supporters. My mom originally told me when I was in ninth grade that they would support me with whatever instrument I chose,” Mikey said. He jumped on the offer and suggested Technics 1200s because of his undying love for hip-hop.



His parents shut down the idea, but a musician of Mikey’s caliber didn’t let a slight case of incredulity sway him. He had one goal: to prove his talent with turntables.



“Six months later, I ended up buying my own pair, and they saw how much I obsessed over them, how they could be a musical instrument. They ended up paying me back, and they’ve just been my number one supporters ever since,” Mikey said.



Mikey’s musical tastes switched from hip-hop to dance music after witnessing Daft Punk’s iconic pyramid set at Coachella 2006 when he was 17. That particular set happened to be Mikey’s first exposure to dance music, and it was his first time at a festival.



He consistently practiced, and shortly after the life-altering Coachella set, Mikey scheduled his first official DJ gig at a bar neighboring his college in San Louis Obispo. Even though he hadn’t played an official live set before his debut, Mikey had already locked in a couple of lifelong fans: his parents. To prove their unconditional support and VIP status in the Mikey Lion fan club, Mikey’s dad surprised Mikey by driving up to the first show.



“They were there the first time that I played Lightning in a Bottle,” Mikey said. “It’s been really cool having their support. Now my mom does our accounting for Desert Hearts. It’s an all-in family affair.”

How Mikey Lion Proved to His Parents that Turntables were an Instrument

Desert Hearts’ unwavering devotion to house, techno, and love attracts fans worldwide. During the COVID lockdown, Desert Hearts members sought out a safe space, one where they could tap into their unyielding enthusiasm for dance music. Since dance floors provide expressive spaces for dance music fans, the lockdown forced producers, DJs, and fans to find a virtual common ground.



Desert Hearts explored their options during the pandemic and decided to construct a consistent hang-out spot for members and new fans on Twitch. The crew livestreamed various sets, chats, and events five nights a week.





“The number of people that have come up to me at shows and just tell me that we got them through the pandemic, that we were their rock during such a trialing time, that means the world to us,” said Mikey Lion during his Gray Area Spotlight interview. “It was completely vice versa. That was our therapy. The whole time during the pandemic, our therapy was playing music for everyone and being able to exchange so much love back and forth.”



In the interim between lockdown and reopening dance floors early last year, Mikey said the online platform helped grow Desert Hearts’ sense of community.



“I think the coolest thing about Twitch for us was just how amazing it was that we are able to provide this home for so many people online,” Mikey continued. “There’s only so much interactivity that you can have via other social media like Instagram and Facebook. They can engage with the artist personally, but there’s no sense of community there because they can’t really engage with each other. It was such an unexplainable way of DJing. There's a really deep connection that was made when I was playing music every Wednesday. It really was like we were together alone. It was incredible.”



According to Mikey, many dance music fans discovered their love for dance music during the pandemic. They stumbled upon Desert Hearts’ Twitch streams by chance, which offered them a saving grace. “What’s crazy is we also came out of the pandemic bigger than we went into it,” he said. “That was bizarre, but I loved it.”



Apart from the virtual community found during the pandemic, one of Mikey’s favorite in-person moments occurred at a Lightning in a Bottle festival a few years ago.



“This woman came up to me and Lee Reynolds at Lightning In A Bottle a couple of years ago—a pregnant woman—and she just grabs our hands and puts our hands on her belly. And she goes ‘this baby was conceived at Desert Hearts festival.’ I've heard about Desert Hearts changing lives countless times. But never heard of Desert Hearts, creating life,” Mikey said.


Whether extending its home to dance music fans through virtual live streams or touching souls in person at festivals or parties, Desert Hearts continues to change lives while remaining true to its original mission: to spread love and acceptance through house, techno, and love itself.


Mikey Lion on how Desert Hearts has Changed Lives 

Mikey Lion catapulted into the dance music scene after stumbling upon Daft Punk’s Coachella set in 2006. Before he fell in love with dance music, he devoted his time to hardcore hip-hop. He even begged his parents for Technics 1200s, eager to convince them turntables were as much instruments as guitars or drums.



Once Mikey heard Daft Punk’s set, his musical passion shifted toward the likes of house and techno. Waving goodbye to hip-hop, he dove straight into the entrancement of dance music at age 17 and attended several West Coast festivals. Transformative gatherings like Lightning in a Bottle and Burning Man in particular served as a jumping board by giving him ideas for his own dance events.



Fast forward six years later, Mikey and his friends Lee Reynolds, Porkchop, Marbs, and Kristoff McKay founded Desert Hearts—a vision, movement, and festival that sprung to life ten years ago in November 2012. The initial Desert Hearts show saw 200 people amass together in the Mojave Desert to celebrate their lifelong passion for house, techno, and love. Although the introductory Desert Hearts function suffered technical difficulties, the spirit of house, techno, and love persevered.



“It came from this really pure-hearted notion of just wanting to make the world a better place, and wanting to build community,” Mikey said during his Gray Area Spotlight interview. “We wanted to show people how they could be a part of a community, how they could go back and create their own parties or own communities themselves. Really, I think that’s the stronghold foundation of our entire brand. Our entire community is about wanting to be a good person, wanting to make the world a better place.”





The crew introduced the Deserts Hearts record label two years later, expanding on the success of their first few parties. Today, the brand has blossomed to include a beloved festival, record label, and epic parties all over the world. Their primary mission to spread love, joy, and hope through dance music remains at the forefront.



“I think it was just the mission that we were on,” says Mikey. “To spread as much love and positive energy. It sounds cheesy, especially now, being in it for this long, but it truly did come from that place.”

Mikey Lion Tells the Desert Hearts Origin Story

The Desert Hearts crew is returning to their new home at Lake Perris in 2023 for Desert Hearts Festival on May 5-8, 2023. Tickets are now on sale, and payment plans are also available for those who are already stacking up their festival season schedule for next year.




When you select the payment plan option at checkout, you'll only have to drop $9.99 plus fees ($41.10 total). Nine payments of $37.43 will be charged to your credit card on the first of every month starting in October and ending in May, just before the start of the festival.




You can update the credit card at any time during the payment period. You can also cancel at any time however, doing so will forfeit all funds from previous payments. For more information on the payment plan details and to purchase tickets, visit the Desert Hearts website.




The Desert Hearts Festival celebrated its tenth year in 2022 with an expanded celebration at Lake Perris, California. Leaders of the transformational festival movement, co-founders Mikey Lion, Marbs, Porky, and Lee Reynolds have cultivated a family-like community united under the mantra of "House, Techno, Love – We Are All Desert Hearts" since their first renegade in the Mojave Desert in 2012.




Last year's highly anticipated event came after a two-year pause due to the pandemic. And while their in-person parties may have been on hold, the purveyors of judgment-free self-expression grew their community immensely by cultivating an online army of Desert Hearts faithful through their popular Twitch channel.




The 10th-anniversary event featured underground heavyweights like DJ Harvey, Carl Craig, Omar-S, Danny Daze, Township Rebellion, Atish, and of course, the core crew Mikey Lion, Marbs, Porky, and Lee Reynolds.




The lineup for the 2023 edition has not yet been released, but if last year is any indication, it will be an expertly curated cross-section of the finest underground talent.



Tickets for Desert Hearts Festival 2023 Are Now On Sale

Each passing year represents a shift in the music industry. The evolution of sound, how listeners consume music, rehashing old tropes. In 2021 we learned that there could be new ways to consume music even in a crowded streaming market. Twitch and Audius blossomed as two new platforms for dance music fans to get that house music fix. We also witnessed 90s nostalgia in full swing, whether we liked it or not.

2021 had a bit of everything. As we enter 2022, we can reflect on one thing 2021 has taught us: nothing is promised. The pandemic put a halt to live music and concert tours, and artists had to get creative in how they continued to reach their fans and put out new music. 

The slowdown of the music business in 2021 has forever changed the shape of the industry. Yet it produced some groundbreaking trends that we hope are here to stay. 




Social Media Livestreams


Livestreams became popular, with venues in flux in 2020 and 2021. Social media platforms with video streaming and sharing capabilities such as Twitch and Facebook Live have provided musicians and their fans the opportunity to connect through streams. They gave us a forum to enjoy our favorite artists and explore new tunes in real-time while interacting with fellow house heads.   

Whether the streaming media included short, raw performances hinting at future music or full-fledged online music festival. These performances allowed giants like Paxhau, Dirtybird, and Desert Hearts to move forward with doing what they do best, entertaining the masses.   

And for emerging artists, they provided limitless opportunities to advance their careers. By the time live shows returned, artists like Mary Droppinz and Nala had established new and growing fan bases that helped make them enticing to festival promoters. While artists like LP Giobbi and Sofi Tukker, while already fan favorites, streamed their way into superstar status because of their daily presence on Twitch.





Festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival, Awakenings, Ultra, and Tomorrowland continue to maintain live streams, making festivals more attainable to the masses—further propelling house music artists to household names.  




Music Video Comeback

The days of MTV being an actual music network that played actual music video are long gone. Music videos used to be a must for any hit song. However, social media sites and YouTube have reintroduced them as a necessary promotional tool. And yet another way for artists to creatively express their vision.   

Music videos add a sheen to a song. They eliminate the uncertainty of understanding what an artist is trying to covey. They elevate the artist's vision and often add an additional layer of nuance to the message. There is power in creating curated and compelling visual narratives for the music. Artists like Will Clarke have mastered the medium, creating solid, visually stunning music videos.

Cross-Genre Collaboration

Collaborations allow artists to tiptoe the line between genres and maybe do something that lies slightly outside of their comfort zone. While they aren't new to dance music, cross-genre collaborations exploded in 2021 due to the pandemic. Artists were in discovery mode. They had time to experiment with music and the ability to collaborate across vast distances via Zoom, Dropbox, Splice, and any number of collaborative platforms.

The door was wide open in 2021 for performers to pair up with their favorite artists of any genre. And the collaborations were nothing short of magical. With critically acclaimed partnerships in-house music with pop, rock, and hip-hop artists alike, we've seen dance music explode into the mainstream in unprecedented ways. The underground is becoming truly massive.



Become a Gray Area member for access to exclusive perks!






DJs Ditching the Decks

When a DJ drops the decks and plays live, it's a thrilling way to experience their work in a new way. Watching them actively create or remix their music is a kind of magic generally reserved for production studios. 







Over the past couple of years, we have started seeing a spike in Live Sets. Groups like Bob Moses, Wajatta, Rufus Du Sol, and WhoMadeWho are no strangers to the festival circuit. But seeing artists like this on more lineups only proves the value of "playing live." 

The immense creativity and emotional weight that artists like Georgia Anjuli, Hannes Bieger, KiNK, and Motez, have created in performing their music live are indisputable—and seeing someone working multiple machines to create soundscapes before our eyes create an immensely meaningful dance floor experience that is difficult to match. 

Here are some other producers taking the house music to new heights as live acts: Jacques Green, Rodriguez Jr, Rybo, and Jamie Jones with Kate Simko as Opus 1.




Rise of the Indie Artists 


The internet and its many devices have allowed independent artists to find inventive ways to get in front of broader audiences in 2021. With touring out of the question for almost half the year, younger artists stepped out front as they took control of platforms like Tik Tok, Twitch, and Instagram and created new opportunities for growth outside of live shows.

They've allowed people the advantage of keeping their music constantly at their fingertips with personally curated playlists, creative content, unique livestreams, and insider videos. They were masters at manipulating the algorithms. As a result, the ever-growing ability to find underground artists across a changing digital landscape is more powerful than ever.

2021 was a treasure chest of indie artists starting to shine. Niles Shepard, Sammy Legs, Arnold & Lane, Nick Siarom, and Lubelski harnessed their powers and are fast becoming names to watch. The future continues to be bright for the underground.   

5 Trends in House Music we Loved in 2021

, the incredible DJ who is known for bringing the love back to House Music. Mikey, whose real name is Michael Leon, grew up in San Diego and has become a legend in the music scene. He is the center of the 

 movement, a group that celebrates house and techno music.

Mikey Lion

As a young boy, Leon developed a passion for music. He started by scratching underground hip-hop records after school when he was just thirteen years old. But everything changed when he attended Coachella music festival at the age of seventeen. On that magical night, he witnessed a legendary performance by 

, an iconic electronic music duo. Inspired by their music and his first experience with psychedelics, Leon decided to become a House DJ the very next day. It was a pivotal moment in his life.

France

Daft Punk

Leon sharpened his DJ skills by practicing for long hours at Sala Razzmatazz in Barcelona. He fell in love with the Burner culture at the Lightning in a Bottle festival in 2011. It was there that he found a community of like-minded people who shared his passion for music and love. He joined forces with his brother Porkchop, his lifelong friends 

Marbs

United Kingdom

Lee Reynolds

In November 2012, Leon and his crew organized their first gathering in the Mojave Desert. It was a small event with only 200 people, but it ignited a fire in their hearts. The goal was simple: to spread as much love as humanly possible. That humble gathering has since evolved into the beloved 

 festival, which takes place twice a year in Southern California. It is attended by 3500 people who come together to celebrate deep and trippy house and techno music.

Not only is Leon a talented DJ, but he also owns Desert Hearts Records, a record label that promotes the sonic aesthetic of the house and techno scene. The label has toured the world and released music from incredible artists. Leon's unique style, with tribal, hip-hop, and psychedelic elements, has made him a prominent figure in the House & Techno scene.

Mikey Lion - Live @ Desert Hearts Festival 10 Year Anniversary

What's Up Desert Hearts Family,

I'm proud to release my full set from our Desert Hearts 10 Year Anniversary Festival. If I had to choose one, this is my favorite set I've ever played, hands down.  This party for me was 3 years in the making with the constant setbacks from the pandemic and I've literally dreamed about playing this set for our Desert Hearts Family since 2019.  Not only did I play my best, but we all had so much pent-up energy going into this festival and I truly believe we expulsed all the love and positivity we had inside us into the universe during these 2 hours which made for the most radical DJ experience I've ever had while surrounded by my family & friends. If you're an up-and-coming DJ watching this, I hope one day you'll get to experience something like this because it was one of the most incredible moments of my life. This is what this music and this movement are all about.

House, Techno, & Love... We Are All Desert Hearts.

Love Always,
Mikey

With his signature top hat and energetic stage presence, Leon has captured the hearts of music lovers everywhere. He has performed at renowned festivals like Lightning in a Bottle, Burning Man, and Coachella. His talent and dedication have earned him recognition from esteemed artists like 

Claude VonStroke

Jamie Jones

Green Velvet

Leon is not just a DJ; he is an agent of love, spreading joy and positive energy through his music. His story is an inspiration, reminding us to follow our passions and pursue what makes us truly happy. So next time you hear his music, remember the dusty prince of 

 and the amazing journey that brought him to where he is today.

Desert Hearts Records x Desert Hearts Black

Superior Ingredients 

Cityfox Transcend Festival

Avant Gardner

Desert Hearts 10 Year Anniversary 

Concord Music Hall

Mikey Lion is a conduit of bright white light, a vibe conductor of the highest order, and a champion of positive energy and dusty funky beats. Positioned at the center of the West Coast house movement, he’s one of the founding members of the Desert Hearts crew. Alongside his brother Porkchop, childhood friend Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Kristoff McKay, he’s created a loving community of wide-eyed dancers that believe house, techno, and love can change the world.

He embarked on his sonic journey at the age of 13. Young Mikey was a massive hip-hop head. When his parents offered to buy him any musical instrument, the DJ culture-obsessed teenager chose Technic 1200s. Undeterred by the fact that his parents didn’t think turntables were an instrument, he bought his own six months later. Mikey immersed himself in the world of turntablism and eventually proved to his parents that his decks were just as impactful and beautiful as any woodwind, piano, or stringed instrument.

“They saw how much I was obsessed with it and they saw how it could be a musical instrument. They ended up paying me back and just been my number one supporters ever since. My dad drove up to San Louis Obispo where I was going to college and surprised me for my first official gig at a bar. They were there the first time that I played Lightning In A Bottle. Now my mom does our accounting for Desert Hearts.”

When he was 17, he went to his first Coachella. His first festival was a life-changing day not just for him but for dance music culture. Coachella 2006 was a flashpoint. 

“I didn't have any idea what I was getting into," he remembers. "And the very first time that I took my very first ecstasy, which also happened to be the very first time I ever heard dance music at the debut of the Daft Punk pyramid.”

The steadfast hip-hop head was converted. “In that moment,” he explains “I'm just like, ‘Fuck hip hop this is what I want to do with my life from now on.’”

When he co-founded the Desert Hearts crew in 2012 he was several years into his journey in dance music. Attending Lightning In A Bottle and Burning Man inspired him and his crew to create something that could bring people together for the love of house and techno. The first renegade in the Mojave Desert was a near disaster. 200 attendees huddled around a campfire on the dancefloor with no sound until 6 am Saturday. And from then on things locked in. Desert Hearts has now grown to encompass a record label and a global community of thousands.

Mikey Lion - Live at Desert Hearts Festival 2019

Teleport back to the magic with Mikey Lion's live set from Desert Hearts Festival 2019! 

Follow Mikey Lion:
https://soundcloud.com/mikeylion
http://facebook.com/mikeylion
http://instagram.com/mikeylion

♥ Stay Connected ♥

Website: http://deserthearts.us
Facebook: http://facebook.com/WeAreDesertHearts
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com//desert-hearts-...
Instagram: http://instagram.com/DesertHearts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DesertHearts

“It came from this really pure hearted place of just wanting to make the world a better place, wanting to build community wanting to show people, how they can be a part of community, how they can go back and create their own parties, their own communities themselves. And really, I think that that's, that's the stronghold foundation of our of our entire brand.”

Mikey has countless stories of Desert Hearts fam sharing how Desert Hearts has changed lives. “One of my favorite stories is this woman came up to me and Lee at Lightning In A Bottle a couple of years ago, pregnant woman, and she just grabs our hands and puts our hands on her belly. And she goes ‘this baby was conceived at Desert Hearts festival.’ I've heard about Desert Hearts changing lives countless times. But never heard of Desert Hearts, creating life.”

During the pandemic, Desert Hearts strengthened their community in an entirely unexpected way. The crew hopped on the streaming game early, and the nightly Desert Hearts streams welcomed tens of thousands of people. 

“I think the coolest thing about Twitch for us was just how amazing it was that we are able to provide this home for so many people online … It was such an unexplainable way of DJing. There's is a real deep connection that was made when I was playing music every Wednesday, It really was like, [we were] together alone. It was incredible.”

Mikey’s personal journey during the pandemic led him to reconfirm why he does what he does. After having a difficult time coping, he realigned his purpose and his place in the universe.

“I've noticed over the years that when I stray from the more spiritual path, which is trying to help people, trying to show people love, trying to just make the world a better place. When my purpose is misaligned, I think that things don't go nearly as well as they're supposed to. And so when I put out my album … I really wanted to make sure that I was completely realigning myself.”

His 2021 album For the Love is more than just a collection of psychedelic beats and basslines. It’s a declaration of love for the scene and his well-being. 

He recently released, “This Is The Beat,” a continuation of the inner work that he established with his album. Given his newfound focus and intention, writing music has become a more organic process. The song was written on a surfing trip in El Salvador. 

“The hotel that I was staying at had this million dollar studio…I ended up making that track, and basis for another track…It wasn't forced at all. I was going on vacation. And I had access to the studio, so I had some downtime in between the surf being blown out. I couldn't think of a better thing.”

Mikey’s newly aligned direction has been a source of clarity. He feels like he’s in the most comfortable space in his career. 

“I know that when I play music, I have a very positive impact on people. And I've learned how to harness my own energy to push this healing energy out. When I was first figuring this out, it was something that I was always thinking like, ‘Whoa, don't let your ego get too big there, dude.’ But then it was like, oh wait, no this is a real thing that is tangible. And I can see the effect that it's having on people. So, if you just lean into it and harness it, it's working. And oddly enough, once I've started moving myself in that newly aligned space, gigs have been better, parties been better. Everything's just been better. So that's my goal now.”

Gray Area Spotlight: Mikey Lion

Mikey Lion is a conduit of bright white light, a vibe conductor of the highest order, and a champion of positive energy and dusty funky beats. Positioned at the center of the West Coast house movement, he’s one of the founding members of the Desert Hearts crew. Alongside his brother Porkchop, childhood friend Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Kristoff McKay, he’s created a loving community of wide-eyed dancers that believe house, techno, and love can change the world.

Read the full Spotlight on Mikey Lion: https://grayarea.co/artists/mikey-lion

▪️Follow Mikey Lion▪️
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mikeylion/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/mikeylion_
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MikeyLionMusic
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/50iz6mQhjUfbM0UjtZxWIp?si=H5tJOCPZSjmwCMTYQuA-mg
Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/mikeylion
Beatport - https://www.beatport.com/artist/mikey-lion/419264

Connect with Gray Area:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/entergrayarea/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/enterGrayArea
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/entergrayarea
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/3nGJIfQ
Website - https://grayarea.co

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Getting into dance music
02:30 - His parents' support
04:00 - Desert Hearts/its impact
10:19 - Being a healer through music
13:50 - His recent music
15:09 - Collab with Justin Martin
17:05 - New party series 'For the Love'
18:42 - What excites him about the future of dance music
20:28 - Speed round

#grayarea #mikeylion #housemusic

Gray Area Interview: Mikey Lion

Mikey Lion is a conduit of bright white light, a vibe conductor of the highest order, and a champion of positive energy and dusty funky beats. Positioned at the center of the West Coast house movement, he’s one of the founding members of the Desert Hearts crew. Alongside his brother Porkchop, childhood friend Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Kristoff McKay, he’s created a loving community of wide-eyed dancers that believe house, techno, and love can change the world.

He embarked on his sonic journey at the age of 13. Young Mikey was a massive hip-hop head. When his parents offered to buy him any musical instrument, the DJ culture-obsessed teenager chose Technic 1200s. Undeterred by the fact that his parents didn’t think turntables were an instrument, he bought his own six months later. Mikey immersed himself in the world of turntablism and eventually proved to his parents that his decks were just as impactful and beautiful as any woodwind, piano, or stringed instrument.

“They saw how much I was obsessed with it and they saw how it could be a musical instrument. They ended up paying me back and just been my number one supporters ever since. My dad drove up to San Louis Obispo where I was going to college and surprised me for my first official gig at a bar. They were there the first time that I played Lightning In A Bottle. Now my mom does our accounting for Desert Hearts.”

When he was 17, he went to his first Coachella. His first festival was a life-changing day not just for him but for dance music culture. Coachella 2006 was a flashpoint. 

“I didn't have any idea what I was getting into," he remembers. "And the very first time that I took my very first ecstasy, which also happened to be the very first time I ever heard dance music at the debut of the Daft Punk pyramid.”

The steadfast hip-hop head was converted. “In that moment,” he explains “I'm just like, ‘Fuck hip hop this is what I want to do with my life from now on.’”

When he co-founded the Desert Hearts crew in 2012 he was several years into his journey in dance music. Attending Lightning In A Bottle and Burning Man inspired him and his crew to create something that could bring people together for the love of house and techno. The first renegade in the Mojave Desert was a near disaster. 200 attendees huddled around a campfire on the dancefloor with no sound until 6 am Saturday. And from then on things locked in. Desert Hearts has now grown to encompass a record label and a global community of thousands.

“It came from this really pure hearted place of just wanting to make the world a better place, wanting to build community wanting to show people, how they can be a part of community, how they can go back and create their own parties, their own communities themselves. And really, I think that that's, that's the stronghold foundation of our of our entire brand.”

Mikey has countless stories of Desert Hearts fam sharing how Desert Hearts has changed lives. “One of my favorite stories is this woman came up to me and Lee at Lightning In A Bottle a couple of years ago, pregnant woman, and she just grabs our hands and puts our hands on her belly. And she goes ‘this baby was conceived at Desert Hearts festival.’ I've heard about Desert Hearts changing lives countless times. But never heard of Desert Hearts, creating life.”

During the pandemic, Desert Hearts strengthened their community in an entirely unexpected way. The crew hopped on the streaming game early, and the nightly Desert Hearts streams welcomed tens of thousands of people. 

“I think the coolest thing about Twitch for us was just how amazing it was that we are able to provide this home for so many people online … It was such an unexplainable way of DJing. There's is a real deep connection that was made when I was playing music every Wednesday, It really was like, [we were] together alone. It was incredible.”

Mikey’s personal journey during the pandemic led him to reconfirm why he does what he does. After having a difficult time coping, he realigned his purpose and his place in the universe.

“I've noticed over the years that when I stray from the more spiritual path, which is trying to help people, trying to show people love, trying to just make the world a better place. When my purpose is misaligned, I think that things don't go nearly as well as they're supposed to. And so when I put out my album … I really wanted to make sure that I was completely realigning myself.”

His 2021 album For the Love is more than just a collection of psychedelic beats and basslines. It’s a declaration of love for the scene and his well-being. 

He recently released, “This Is The Beat,” a continuation of the inner work that he established with his album. Given his newfound focus and intention, writing music has become a more organic process. The song was written on a surfing trip in El Salvador. 

“The hotel that I was staying at had this million dollar studio…I ended up making that track, and basis for another track…It wasn't forced at all. I was going on vacation. And I had access to the studio, so I had some downtime in between the surf being blown out. I couldn't think of a better thing.”

Mikey’s newly aligned direction has been a source of clarity. He feels like he’s in the most comfortable space in his career. 

“I know that when I play music, I have a very positive impact on people. And I've learned how to harness my own energy to push this healing energy out. When I was first figuring this out, it was something that I was always thinking like, ‘Whoa, don't let your ego get too big there, dude.’ But then it was like, oh wait, no this is a real thing that is tangible. And I can see the effect that it's having on people. So, if you just lean into it and harness it, it's working. And oddly enough, once I've started moving myself in that newly aligned space, gigs have been better, parties been better. Everything's just been better. So that's my goal now.”