Desert Air, the Mojave Desert escape for underground electronic music lovers rose the weekend to new heights at The Palm Springs Air Museum where a carnival of historically rich fighter jets and a range of electronic tunes brimmed the vast skies of Palm Springs. With two days filled with some of the world’s leading electronic acts, each day was extraordinary as vibes kicked off at 4 pm with the event lasting until 12:30 am.
Industrial and grand exhibitions of historic fighter jets lined up The Palm Springs Air Museum, encompassing the aesthetically pleasing theme of aircrafts and aviation. With planes being showcased inside and outside the museum, attendees could feel the historical importance and the uniqueness of the event itself. With bars lined up inside the museum where attendees could see more one-of-a-kind jets, helicopters and airplanes, the aerobatics of these items were showcased in the most precise displays which truly encapsulated the sensation of being in the presence of these aircrafts in action.
With interactive art installations capturing picture-ready moments for individual or squad pics, a bed showered in glimmering disco balls of all sizes, and another installation capturing an essence of sitting in an intimate aircraft cabin with old-fashioned props were the perfect dwellings to gather friends and take the most photo-worthy shots. Created by Multimedia installation artist Veronica Gessa (Moki Baby), these areas made the festival feel in tune with the creative vision that Golden Voice and Splash House had in mind for the event.
With VIP areas soaring in the main area of the museum, stage left of the venue was designated for VIP pass holders which included a separate area that allowed for private bars, viewing areas, lounges, and bathrooms. The grand space that was made for VIP definitely added a new level of exclusivity as pass holders were able to experience more of what the museum has to offer by being surrounded by more aircraft props, statues, and displays.
Day one of the single-staged event housed talented acts such as house expert Chris Stussy, who set the tone for the remainder of the night as his range of melodic to house sounds heated the dancefloor for attendees as they danced in cold temperatures. The cold didn’t limit many as energies rose with British Colombian and female icon Jayda G. Bringing nothing but smiles and endless moves on the decks, her infectious personality drowned attendees in pure joy and in rich soulful music. Dixon with his expertise in melodic techno sounds took the night on an Innervisions journey which cascaded into party vibes with Puerto Rican tech-house and R&B legends, The Martinez Brothers.
The second night of the weekend brought out more favorites, including one rap act that's a favorite among house music fans, Channel Tres. His set included background dancers, and an overall fun vibe that was a great pre-show before the legendary Moodymann stepped in. After opening his set with some liquid drum n' bass (a very rare occurrence, we've learned) he set the tone for the rest of the night. With closing 2-hour sets by DJ Koze and Peggy Gou, there could not have been a better way to end a weekend of sky high vibes we got to experience each night.
We are so glad we had another excuse to head out to Palm Springs and dance to acts we aren't used to seeing here in SoCal - the team behind Desert Air and Splash House continue to never disappoint. Needless to say we cannot wait to see what they bring us in 2022.
