DESERT HEARTS REINTRODUCE THEMSELVES WITH DEBUT CALIFORNIA EP

LAUNCH NEW ‘DESERT HEARTS’ UNIFIED ARTIST PROJECT, A  COLLABORATION BETWEEN FOUNDERS MIKEY LION, MARBS, & LEE REYNOLDS

ANNOUNCE NEW LABEL DEAL WITH EMPIRE

Desert Hearts have stepped into a new era. The Southern California-born collective today release California, a two-track EP that marks founders Mikey Lion, Marbs, and Lee Reynolds formally uniting as a production trio and touring act under the Desert Hearts name. Long known as a label, festival, and global community, the group now brings that same collaborative framework into a singular artist identity.

Featuring “California” and “Dancing Feet,” two cuts that distill the intersecting house and techno sounds of Mikey Lion, Marbs, and Lee Reyonds, the EP captures a dynamic that has been central to Desert Hearts since the beginning. Their “One Stage, One Vibe” festival format, built around uninterrupted programming and extended sets, has always emphasized continuity, with artists shaping the direction of a party together across non-stop weekenders. What emerges is a unified sound shaped in step with a loyal and ever-growing community.

From its early days in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, Desert Hearts has grown into hundreds of events, international touring, and a vast catalog of releases. What began as a renegade gathering of friends has expanded into a worldwide family, where the line between artist and attendee dissolves, and the dancefloor becomes a shared experience. Releasing music under the Desert Hearts name brings that spirit full circle, channeling the collective energy of the community into a singular sonic identity.

The EP also marks the beginning of a new partnership with EMPIRE Dance, expanding the reach of a project that has largely developed on its own terms. At a moment of continued growth, the release of California establishes a clearer throughline between Desert Hearts’ identity on the dancefloor and in recorded form.

Desert Hearts’ new California EP, produced by Mikey Lion, Marbs, and Lee Reynolds, is out now. 

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VICTOR RUIZ ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM ‘VICTOR’ WITH LAUNCH SINGLE ‘SILENCE’

Out Now Across All Streaming Platforms

Victor Ruiz steps forward with a conceptual opus for the ages. Offering something wholly divergent from his signature brand of techno, the Brazilian artist announces the forthcoming release of his very first studio album - the self-titled debut, ‘VICTOR’.

It starts with ‘Silence’, out now - one of the lead offerings in a record that traces the space between being shaped and taking control. For Victor Ruiz, the track isn’t just an LP filler, it’s the touchstone for an album built around transformation and rebellion. ‘VICTOR’, arriving July 10, outlines the arc from inherited direction to self-definition - a project designed not as a collection of tracks but as a progression of states. ‘Silence’ marks the first glimpse into the album’s themes - the moment before awareness, where everything is still being formed and the listener stands at the edge of the journey that’s about to unfold. This isn’t another fleeting techno cut chasing immediate impact - it’s a thought-provoking introduction to a record that indulges in revolt.

At the heart of the album’s narrative, ‘Silence’ holds the weight of birth and identity. It’s the pressure of what comes before you decide for yourself; a set course, unspoken expectation and a mind still learning the rules it hasn’t yet questioned. No resistance. No defiance. Just quiet absorption. It’s the baseline - the point from which growth begins.

Sonically, ‘Silence’ bridges the recognisable and the unknown. Built around a meditative melodic motif that threads its way through the entirety of the track, Ruiz crafts a piece that feels both introspective and expansive. The composition breathes, steadily rising and receding with intention as textured layers begin to emerge. Organic, almost primal elements flicker beneath the surface, evoking distant, untamed environments, while refined synth work anchors the track firmly within Ruiz’s electronic domain. The result is a fluid interplay between the natural and the mechanical, the feral and the orthodox.

That sense of duality runs deep throughout the entirety of ‘VICTOR’. Structured not as a playlist but as an evolution, the record charts a path through isolation, awakening, confrontation and ultimately, integration. Each single serves as a turning point - not just in sound but in perspective - guiding the listener through an expanding internal dialogue. Like much of Victor’s conceptually driven output, it is an experience designed to be felt as much as it is heard.

With a career spanning iconic underground clubs to the world’s biggest festival stages, Ruiz has long been celebrated for his physical and emotional connection with audiences. For an artist whose name has long been synonymous with the kinetic pulse of underground techno, this body of work represents a rare and deliberate turning point. With ‘VICTOR’, his highly anticipated debut album, he steps into defiant territory, delivering a bold and introspective work that defines his first full-length statement as an artist.

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CHARLOTTE DE WITTE UNVEILS NEW EP ‘AMOR’ ON KNTXT THREE TRACKER FEAT. BRAZILIAN CERES OUT APRIL 30TH

Charlotte de Witte announces three brand new tracks in the form of her richly resonant EP ‘Amor’, out April 30th on her KNTXT imprint. The vinyl will include an additional Instrumental Mix of her track ‘O Movimento’. 
 
The world's number one techno artist recently celebrated her 15th career anniversary with two monumental Flanders Expo 23k capacity performances, her long-awaited debut album (plus a new Deluxe Edition), and press support from Vogue, Grammy Museum, BBC 6 Music, DJ Mag (with cover), Mixmag, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Zane Lowe, Clash, Flood Magazine (cover).
 
‘Amor’ EP: each track features the breathy, full-toned vocals and Portuguese lyrics of CERES. The Brazilian singer, DJ & producer favours techno with tasty slices of UKG. Add to that, subtle motifs link the three tracks, giving the impression they form a suite. ‘This EP is inspired by my love for Portugal and Brazil, the country, the people, the food, the culture. Made with lots of amor.’ - Charlotte de Witte
 
Title track ‘Amor’ (feat. CERES) delivers a galloping beat starred with spacey FX, as a hoover siren builds tension and CERES begins her rhyming chant. A sprinkle of acid becomes a sulphuric tidal wave. Next, ‘Sem Ar’ (feat. CERES): ‘Airless’; frantic rattling percussion overlays the fast beat to breakbeat-adjacent. CERES’ resonant voice is showcased in an acapella breakdown before her soulful voice becomes an acid robot’s, sharp and penetrating. Finally, ‘O Movimento’ (feat. CERES); ‘Movement/motion’, speeding beat with hi-hat backbeat duels with CERES’ voice, now sounding almost breathless, before acid filters in as the track builds. 
 
New music, alongside massive global shows as de Witte’s 2026 global list of tour dates continues to bloom, including headlining Time Warp Brazil, EDC Las Vegas, We Love Green (Paris), Kappa Futur Festival, Awakenings, Sonar,and more street parties in the making… There’s a lot to love for the year ahead.
 
‘Amor’ is out April 30th on KNTXT. Get it here: https://orcd.co/kntxt033.
 
Tracklist:

1. Charlotte de Witte feat. CERES - Amor (Original Mix)

2. Charlotte de Witte feat. CERES - Sem Ar (Original Mix)

3. Charlotte de Witte feat. CERES - O Movimento (Original Mix)

4. Charlotte de Witte - O Movimento (Instrumental Mix) [vinyl-only]

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