Paul Oakenfold
Paul Oakenfold is one of today’s most respected and accomplished dance music artists. In addition to consistent placing at the top of the polls as one of the best DJs in the world and to being a noted producer, he has an impressive array of other titles as well. First is remixer – he’s worked with everyone from Arrested Development and Snoop Dogg to Madonna and U2. Then there’s record label founder (his Perfecto label has discovered new talent including Timo Maas). Next is songwriter – his first album, Bunkka, was released in the summer of 2002 and showcased a variety of talent, ranging from Jane’s Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell and Shifty Shellshock of Crazy Town, to Ice Cube, Tricky and Nelly Furtado. Paul can even be called a film scorer as well – he scored John Travolta’s 2001 movie, Swordfish, and made musical contributions to director Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes, as well as The Bourne Identity, Austin Powers Gold Member and the new Tom Cruise movie, Collateral.
And if that’s not enough, Paul can also literally be called “world traveler.” He’s performed in almost every corner of the globe, including Alaska, Bombay, Rio de Janeiro, South Korea, China, Philippines, Johannesburg, Egypt and Ho Chi Min City in Vietnam. He was also among the first DJs to have regular club sessions on the island of Ibiza (Spain), contributing to what is now one of the world’s most popular dance music events each summer.
All this is a far cry from his early days DJing in small clubs in London. One of Paul’s first industry gigs was working as an A&R rep at the UK-based Champion Records, where interestingly, his first signing was Will Smith of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. His second signing was Salt ‘n Pepa. He certainly has an instinct for talent!
Having mastered so many aspects of the music business, what could possibly be next for the ubiquitous Mr. Oakenfold? Why, television of course! In October 2004, Paul was one of the central characters in a new reality TV program called, The Club. Centered around the Las Vegas nightclub ICE, the show chronicled the efforts of the owner to re-invent the club by injecting new blood into it, thereby crushing the competition. He enlisted the help of Paul Oakenfold to invoke the same magic he used to transform the island of Ibiza into the most popular party destination in Europe.
Assisting Paul was Korg’s new TRITON Extreme music workstation, which he requested for his work on the TV show. Paul found the Extreme to be an indispensable creative tool, as he told us, “The Korg TRITON Extreme keyboard is a crucial necessity for any serious musician, producer, studio or production facility. The interface is a breeze and the sound design abilities are extreme. It’s a very cool workstation system.”
Paul was featured creating new music on the Extreme in his L.A. studio, as well as meeting with key club personnel to workout new strategies, and finally, performing his music for the club’s serious party crowds.
And as with any popular reality TV show, The Club, which aired on SPIKE TV, offered brow-raising fireworks, drama, and excesses of many kinds. With that, viewers caught a glimpse into the reason behind the unwritten rule, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”
Find out more about Paul Oakenfold and what this talented, multi-faceted performer has coming up next at www.pauloakenfold.com.
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