DESERT HEARTS 2023

The sun was shining,

the air still had that post-rain smell, LA traffic was tolerable and the techno was bumping! It was a perfect day to hold the annual desert-techno-love fest, Desert Hearts. I want to preface this by saying that I think the festival is working through the geographical kinks. Transitioning from a humongous Lake Perris to a tiny sliver of the LA Coliseum definitely limited the number of people, interactive art, and workshops that Desert Hearts has become famous for. I remember attending Desert Hearts 2018, and attending a yoga workshop after a night of dancing with my friends followed by a life-changing sound bath were just some of my highlights from that year. With time, I think that Desert Hearts can smoothly transition into the LA city life, and bring back the magic that was at Lake Perris.

Now onto the festival itself;

Every year I tell myself “Don’t spend money on the vendors”, and how could I not? It’s a literal one stop shop for all your wook and desert needs; pocket belts, disco attire, hoops, fur coats, kimonos, cat ears, etc. The possibilities to spend your money were ENDLESS. You could spend the entire duration of the festival solely shopping, and it helps that all the vendors were kind and all had amazing stories to tell. In case you were wondering, yes, I did spend money. Worth every penny for the pocket belt, and DH merch I bought. The live artists were painting some absolutely beautiful art. From trippy patterns to realism to whimsical, nature-esq vibes. It was a pleasure to watch while I sat under a tree, and had techno bumping behind me. It was truly a vibe.

Now of all the sets, I really came to see Soul Clap and he did NOT disappoint. The Boston-bred duo (although I only saw one of the guys behind the deck) serenaded the crowd with his beautiful blend of jazz, funk, disco, and techno. We were dancing, bobbing, shaking, and spinning, and although it wasn’t during the sunset man, did I feel his vibes more than any other set. PURE. BLISS.

The transition from Lake Perris to LA Coliseum was a big and last-minute move. As stated, I think they’re working incredibly hard to smooth out the geographical kinks that LA laws confine Desert Hearts into, but with time, I think Desert Hearts will regain all of its magic that was left from Lake Perris. Until the next festival, see you on the dance floor 🙂

(( all photos taken by Eliana Milgrom – shot with Polaroid Square ))

desert hearts
desert hearts