Paul Oakenfold | Artist
Paul Oakenfold is an English Music Producer, Remixer and DJ, born 1963 in Greenhithe, Kent. Oakenfold is inarguably one of the most important figures in the history of dance music, having done more to popularize the genre than anyone else. He was responsible for breaking house music to British clubbers during the late '80s, then took the genre aboveground, masterminding dance-minded productions and remixes by rock and pop stars such as Happy Mondays and U2. He also founded the highly successful dance label Perfecto Records, and held celebrated residencies at two of the biggest U.K. superclubs of all time, Ministry of Sound and Cream. Oakenfold describes his early life as a "bedroom DJ", stating he grew up listening to the Beatles. His musical career began in the late 1970s, when he met Trevor Fung and began helping him DJ soul music in a Covent Garden wine bar. He was also a DJ at Rumours where he played Earth, Wind and Fire and popular British bands. In 1981, 18-year-old Oakenfold and his friend Ian Paul moved to New York City, where he initially worked as a courier in West Harlem. During this time, hip-hop was overtaking dance music as the most popular sound in the area. Oakenfold and Fung used fake identification to sneak into various dance clubs, like Studio 54, where they claimed to be NME and Melody Maker journalists. Returning to London, Oakenfold began breaking into the mainstream, as an A&R man for Champion Records. He signed several U.S. dance acts and became a promoter and British agent for the Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C. In 1987, Oakenfold travelled to the island of Ibiza for a week to celebrate his birthday. Trevor Fung, Nicky Holloway, Ian Saint Paul, Danny Rampling and Johnny Walker accompanied him. Oakenfold convinced the owner of a venue in England to host an "Ibiza Reunion" party after-hours. He had previously made an attempt, but it failed as the crowd was not ready for the acid house style until 1987 when the party was successful. After that, the night became a classic and became one of the UK's major acid house nights, known as Spectrum at Heaven in Charing Cross. Since the mid-'90s, he's been inextricably associated with trance, and mix CDs such as Tranceport (1998) and his two Global Underground volumes have remained some of the genre's biggest-selling releases. However, he has always maintained an eclectic approach to mixing, incorporating styles such as drum'n'bass, downtempo, and excerpts from film scores into his sets. As a producer, he's expanded into hip-hop, pop, and alternative rock on studio albums Bunkka (2002) and A Lively Mind (2006), which featured guests such as Ice Cube, Pharrell Williams, and Ryan Tedder, and he's contributed music to numerous films, television programs, and video games. Long recognized as one of the world's most popular DJs, he has maintained a tireless work ethic well into the 21st century, constantly touring across the globe (including performances at landmarks such as the Great Wall of China, Mount Everest, and Stonehenge), releasing mixes such as Dreamstate, Vol. 1 (2017), and working with mega-stars such as Madonna, Cher, and Britney Spears. He has continued branching out during the 2020s, releasing singles with Luis Fonsi, Azealia Banks, and Aloe Blacc. By the mid-'90s, dance music had reached the mainstream of British radio and culture, with Oakenfold at the front of a new wave of globe-trotting DJs; he toured with U2 and supported live gigs by INXS, the Orb, Simply Red, Boy George, and Primal Scream. On Britain's ever-growing club circuit, he inaugurated the London superclub Ministry of Sound early in the 1990s and became a resident at Britain's other superclub, Liverpool's Cream.
Artist Website: pauloakenfold.com
Featured Albums: Paul Oakenfold
Related Artists: Perfecto, Global Underground, Element Four