Lee Reynolds parts ways with Desert Hearts after 14 years

Lee Reynolds is stepping away from the collective he co-founded to chase a solo career.

Another founding father has left the desert. Lee Reynolds, the shaggy, purple-capped DJ affectionately known to the rave community as “Papa Lee,” is parting ways with Desert Hearts, the event brand and record label he helped launch back in 2012.

The collective broke the news in a statement posted to Instagram, opening with a soft and gentle respect. “Sometimes the people who build something beautiful begin new chapters,” it reads. “Today, we are sharing that Lee Reynolds will be shifting focus to his solo career.”

From there, the tribute gets personal. The statement calls Reynolds “a cornerstone of the Desert Hearts story,” crediting his “passion, creativity, and heart” for shaping everything the brand has become across dusty sunrises and dancefloors around the world. It also makes clear this isn’t a falling out: Reynolds will still play Desert Hearts Microfest this fall, with the post signing off, “Once Desert Hearts family, always Desert Hearts family.”

Mikey Lion and Marbs will carry the torch from here, continuing to throw events, tour, and release music under the banner. Notably, they’re the only two partners named, albeit the original crew has thinned. Deep Jesus stepped away in 2018, and Porky departed for his own solo project last October, leaving the remaining trio to reintroduce themselves with the California EP in May. That two-track release now stands as Reynolds’ last as a Desert Hearts member.

What began as a 200-person party in the Mojave grew into a globe-trotting “one stage, one vibe” institution, though the last few years brought a nomadic festival run through Lake Perris, the LA Memorial Coliseum, and Flagstaff before the 2026 edition was scrapped altogether.

Fans flooded the comments with tributes, and the sentiment was unanimous: wherever Papa Lee goes next, the dancefloor is following.

About The Author

Saracha

Heralding from sunny South Florida, I am a proud Florida Woman. In my free time, I surf the swamp, wrangle gators, open fan mail, and tend to my pets. In the wild, I’m most often spotted at immersive art spaces, step tappin’ in a shadowed corner of the club, hater blockerz on, totally incognito as your resident EDM spice girl. Although I generally tout my spicy side, if there’s one thing I’d love to impress upon the world, it would be this: it’s not a waste to give love to those who do not deserve it – it’s a gift. The world would be a better place if we gave, in kindness and in mercy, to those who need it most with no expectation in return.

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