Marbs

The sun fades, the last glitter trails of light hit the shimmering and spinning dusty desert disco ball. A throng of dedicated and debauched hard partying animals hurtle their way towards center stage. Veteran party-goers make their way to the dance floor, no questions asked, while whispers of “King of Darkness … house … techno … psychedelia” spread through the new night sky. The melodic notes travel through space. Ethereal beauty pours from the stacked Funktion One speakers, waving its way through the crowd. Your eyes close, your body grooves, and thuds of tech house begin to write a story for all to enjoy. Dark, driving, thumping techno is paired with mystical, beautiful, melodic house. That passionately and expertly paired genre-bending style is the only way to describe Marbs’ signature sound.

Having grown up in Southern California with the now notoriously known motley crew called Desert Hearts, Marbs, a lifelong artist and music enthusiast, 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 roamed the city, house music spilled from the 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 has now turned into one of the most talked about and adored boutique festivals in North America. None of which could be possible without Marbs, lovingly coined the”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. While Desert Hearts catapults successfully into the scene as a major player through their festival, touring internationally under the moniker City Hearts, and launching a (free!) record label, Marbs continues to hone his production skills while also hand drawing all of the label’s artwork and holding true to his artistic roots.

Marbs’ musical talents and humble dj presence commands any dance floor with 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.