Desert Hearts Black founder releases EP, Minds on the Run, a five-track collection featuring a remix from the famed Oscar L. Created by Marbs, one of two founders of Desert Hearts Black, this EP’s aim was to whip up fresh techno and house music for an international audience that is chomping at the bit to get back to the dance floor and feel the bass straight from the booth. Having been made over the course of 2021 with the idea that live music would be back in full swing this year, Minds on the Run was inspired by the experience of the global pandemic.
Marbs crafted Minds of the Run as light and refreshing—a drink of cold water after an arduous journey—but it also has some meat on its bones as it plays with an exotic mix of sound samples and dashes them together in a sort of feverish experiment. And what an honor to have Oscar L featured with remix at the end of this EP. Marbs himself is quite proud being quoted as saying, “I’ve been an Oscar L fan for a long time. When I sent him the music and he said yes, I was really excited to have him on Desert Hearts Black.”
‘Needed Time’ is the first track on the EP and establishes the flavor of the collection. It starts out with a nearly subconsciously deep bass line, and built up from there there are trills of horns, slinky snares, and crisp effects like the flick of a card deck and the clink of glasses. The delicate vocals keep afloat above the foamy musical scape, but the emotion and tensions are elevated further with the smattering of exciting synths as they rise and crest with the drops. It is a complex sound that does not get overwhelming since the steady tech rhythm keeps it steady. ‘Needed Time’ feels like the perfect track to open up a set as the sun dips below the horizon and the buzz begins; something all music fans have craved since the pandemic limited our opportunity to experience this.
Next is ‘Mental Gymnastics’ which is also carried by a gentle hum of bass that is basted with crunchy tidbits of samples creating a melodic and tangy track. There are some breaks in the bassline where the melody is teased up with some sharper, higher pitched synths, and then it’s layered back in to give the overall satiating experience of dexterous mixing and seamless transitions from one section of the track to the other. It is a pluckier track that has dashes of more pensive sounds to create thoughtful space.
The title track, ‘Minds On The Run’ starts out like a digital ticking clock and quickly collects sounds from the ambient rhythm it creates. As it progresses, this unique bouquet of sound is pulled together with breathy synths, erotic vocal samples, and the toot of a distant horn that was possibly recorded underwater. It’s a freaky amalgamation that simply works. The sounds feel like they are all standalone yet stitched together, like segments in a centipede creeping along a sweep sand dune- fleeting but together. It is a sensual experience that would be well suited for an inky night and a set’s twilight performance.
Oscar L’s featured remix of ‘Needed Time’ cinches off this expansive experience. With a punched-up, bolder bassline, no time is wasted getting to the heart of the essence of this track. With the deeper bassline, the synths feel even more sinuous, and the vocals are slightly distorted to create more tension and attention. The build-ups are rapid, initially perceptible, they register and then they are upon you—an exciting, thrilling way to build emotion. As Oscar dials back the bass to reveal the might of the garnishing sounds, he creates anticipation, and like any professional creative, he draws them out, and then the synths are frothed and spun up into a frenzy before blasting back into the bass.
Check this EP out for yourself below.
