musical_acts_dev :: Desert Dwellers

Desert Dwellers

Los Angeles. CA.

http://desertdwellers.org 

Desert Dwellers are one of the foremost influences in a genre that they basically expanded from the ground up to be where it’s at today. With a blend of a variety of sources that have been composed to form a heavily weaved set of sounds that coincide in perfect harmony together Desert Dwellers has established themselves in not only their home area of Southern California and New Mexico but across the globe.

Taking a new approach on digital production, the main members Amani Friend & Treavor Moontribe have combined the raw sounds of the natural world with skillfully blended deep bass, earthy percussion, etheric voices and culture crossing instrumentation into sonic incense for the mind and body. With this blend of dance tracks and down tempo sounds they have enabled themselves to give a heightened sense of being to listeners through their musical medium.

Bringing the electronic bass music vibe to the yoga scene, and the sounds of yoga to the electronic dance scene, Desert Dwellers’ global sounds are the bridge between worlds. Joining solid groove with sounds of serenity, their signature aesthetic feels as natural on the dance floor as it does after hours or on the mat. Due in no small part to Desert Dwellers’ pioneering spirit, the very concept of chill-out and sacred bass music has expanded dramatically. These sound alchemists offer cutting edge techniques that blend the modern edge of electronica with ancient and organic sounds, offering a spellbinding hybrid with echoes of our tribal past and future. The result has been the prolific production of genre blending dance tracks and downtempo grooves that make for truly memorable listening experiences.

Desert Dwellers was initially created out of a collaboration in the late 90′s between electronic music pioneers Amani Friend & Treavor Moontribe (aka Amani vs Teapot). The group has their roots in the Southern California dance collective known as Moontribe, famous in the electronic underground for organizing dance rituals at magical locations deep within the vast expanses of Southern California and New Mexico deserts. Desert Dwellers has been blessed to collaborate with an amazingly talented group of producers like Rara Avis, Craig Kohland, Michael Stearns, Sattva Ananda, and Jonathan Grossman on various co-production projects. They have also worked closely in the studio with many musicians over the years including Paul Livingstone, Sarah West, Michael Kott, Ixchel Meow, Meagan Chandler, Nicolle Jensen, Domonic Dean Breaux, Yamuna Wali, and Ricardin, all incredible masters of their various musical traditions and transmissions. Desert Dwellers have done remixes for Adham Shaikh, Kalya Scintilla, Bird of Prey, Kaya Project, Karsh Kale, Deep Forest, David Starfire, Deya Dova, Girish, Donna DeLory, Deva Premal, Jai Uttal, and many other underground electronic artists. Desert Dwellers have been blowing up all over the map lately with international appearances all over the world including Australia, Europe, Egypt, Guatemala, Mexico, and North America. Over the past couple years they have appeared at some of the top music festivals like Shambhala, Lightening in a Bottle, Burning Man, Symbiosis, Australia Eclipse, The Great Convergence, Enchanted Forest, Beloved,

 

Amani Friend (aka Global Dragon) has been blazing a path in sonic alchemy since his early years on this planet. His ears are tuned to exotic frequencies that live between the spaces and behind the mysteries. A founder and key innovator in the Desert Dwellers project, the creator of Liquid Bloom, and a historic participant in Shaman’s Dream music series, he’s been an amazing influence in the world of both electronic and healing music.

As a pioneer in the realms of ethno-techno fusion, Amani Friend has an uncanny ability to weave many unique threads of musical influences into a cohesive tapestry of sonic bliss. He has spent the past 24 years producing his signature music beyond borders, where electronic, dub, psychedelic, and a diverse set of world genres blend. His DJ sets, whether uptempo, downtempo or ambient are known to mix many soundscapes, immersing the listener in a journey of otherworldly sonic dimensions and inner spaces. As the main driving force behind the Desert Dwellers music catalog, Amani has released over a dozen full length albums and countless singles, EPs and remixes for labels like White Swan, Black Swan, Twisted Records, Iboga, System, Native State, Six Degrees, Ball of Waxx, Flow Records, Yogi Tunes, and Desert Trax. After the success of the classic “DownTemple Dub” series on White Swan, Amani spent the past couple years working with a huge number of cutting edge producers from around the world to contribute their unique production skills in the creation of several incredible remix albums, which have helped catapult this organic-electronic sound onto the global stage.  Aside from keeping the music of Desert Dwellers going, Amani has several side projects known as Variant Field, Liquid Bloom, and Chase the Lazer, and also co-manages two digital record labels. His work as a graphic designer and visionary artist manifests similar themes as his music … a conscious bridge between ancient and future.