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-- Paul Oakenfold
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heres what oakie had to say about this, printed in 3dworld magazine
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A VERSATILE BLOAKEY By Cyclone Some superstar DJs are easy to pin down and pigeonhole. Others, Like Paul Oakenfold, are truly versatile, and often this confuses the critics who would prefer artists to stick to what the critics know. Does Oakey care? Not likely **** British trance star Paul Oakenfold may be a contender for the biggest DJ in the world, but it's not easy. Oakenfold has his legions of fans, even in the impenetrable US, but he also has detractors - music critics among them. In fact, in recent interviews Paul has suggested that the media didn't give last year's 'artist' album, Bunkka, a chance. Critics accused him of making a crossover album, a corporate LP, music for the masses. Understandably, Paul refutes this. Either way, Bunkka was a bold LP. Oakenfold didn't predictably cut an album of polished trance, but instead explored his musical roots - from epic trance to ambient to hip-hop breaks. He collaborated with a diverse cast of vocalists, too. Paul roped in Ice Cube, Tricky and Nelly Furtado. Even rock scribe Hunter S Thompson put in an appearance. Today Oakenfold says he was not necessarily disappointed with the reviews. He didn't pay them much attention. He feels overall the public's response to Bunkka was positive - and that's what counts. Internationally sales figures stand at 700, 000. "I think there's always an element of the dance culture that don't want you to develop as an artist and they don't really want you to grow, and I think initially they heard the record and expected it just to be trance, and that was it," he reasons. "But anyone who's followed me and knows my history - from working with Massive Attack to all the Def Jam rap artists to rock bands, Rolling Stones, U2 - knows that I do other things and I've always worked with songs, so I think it was some people who just thought I was a so-called trance DJ. But I'm really happy with it - especially in the US, it's done pretty well. I think it's harder to make songs and, as a kid, I always wanted to make a record that was song-based, I grew up listening to songs, so it was a very hard record for me to make, but I'm very proud of it and if I did it again I would do exactly the same." Indeed, Oakenfold has long been versatile. He was DJing in his teens at a point when the profession didn't offer a viable income. Paul trained to be a chef but what he really wanted was to forge a career in the music industry. At first he worked behind the scenes - in record companies. Eventually Paul quit to focus on his DJing. Along the way, he promoted Balearic nights in London. As such, Oakenfold is now recognised as one of the key players in the acid house movement. Early on Paul showed an interest in production, and he worked with The Happy Mondays on their album Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches, which established the new genre of indie-dance. Oakenfold likewise remixed some of U2's biggest records. Paul was the official DJ on the Zoo TV tour. In 2003 Paul does it all - DJing, producing, remixing, soundtracks - and he presides over a successful dance label, Perfecto, with Germany's Timo Maas - who almost upstaged Oakenfold with his LP, Loud - on its roster. This year Perfecto will bring out a new Timo Maas album. "We're trying to sign long-term artists who can perform live, they can write, and they can do artist orientated albums," Paul says. What's more, Oakenfold is venturing into the breaks market with recent Perfecto mix-CDs by Lee Coombs and Rennie Pilgrem. Lest you think Oakenfold's move into breaks is opportune, listen to his old Tranceport CD. He's always been into breaks. But, at the end of the day, what defines Paul's musical style is melody. With Bunkka out of the way, Oakenfold is hardly taking time off. He's just turned his hand to Madonna's American Life, describing it as "a breaks-style mix". On the Hollywood front, Paul has completed music for the new Matrix: Reload, and is set to begin on the movie Deep, from the same team behind Training Day. "It's just making time, really. I just wanna choose very carefully what I do, rather than do everything that I get offered." In the meantime, Oakenfold is issuing a new single from Bunkka, The Harder They Come, with novice singer Keisha White singing the part originally recorded by Furtado. "Basically the Nelly was really cool, but her record company didn't want her to have a single out at the moment because she's got her own album coming out shortly," he explains. Not disconcerted by the mixed reviews of Bunkka, Paul is looking to commence a new LP - but it won't appear anytime soon. "I'm gonna do a mix album," he says. "At the moment I'm writing songs, to be honest, I'm in Los Angeles and I'm actually writing for my new album, but that won't be until next year. I really don't wanna rush it. I really wanna get good songs, and keep to the same format that I had originally, so I think I'm gonna do a mix album and there will possibly be one new single on the mix album." As for the recession hitting the dance industry, which has undermined super clubs and superstar DJs, Oakenfold sees good and bad in the scene. The plus side? Increasingly, electronic music is being used in films and commercials - new outlets. Yet Paul has his own theory about the downturn in clubland these last few months. It's not the commercialism that has led to the current malaise, but the music. Paul believes that the scene could do with more uplifting trance. "Why people went to clubs was to have a great time and to forget their troubles and worries and stresses of the week and enjoy themselves and I think that the music was a huge, important part of that, and music changed. It became dark, it became quite depressing, it wasn't melodic, it wasn't uplifting, there was no melody there, there were no songs that girls could sing along to, and I think that's what we need to get back to. We need to get back to giving people a good time - that's why people no longer wanna go, because they're not having a good time. If they were having a good time, they'd still be going. It's pretty straightforward. "See, you have to look at what changed to make it bad, and it's the music that changed - in the UK, anyway - and that's why people stopped going to clubs and that's why all the major clubs, not all of them, but the majority of them, have shut down." Paul Oakenfold plays Club QBH in Melbourne on Saturday, 5th April & Sounds On Sunday at The Greenwood in Sydney on 6th April. Bunkka is out on FMG. |
Nice!
Wow....Speedracer....those are some pretty cool sets you've listed up there. Thanks for the song ID's, btw - was a great help 
Just thorght you might want a visual to compliment the Creamfields 2002 set...
I took this pictures just before Southern Sun came in....
Was a fantatic set.
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| Originally posted by speedracer_mec Paul Oakenfold - Live at Ultra 5 (03-22-2003) 01. Futureshock - On My Mind (Original Mix) 02. Planisphere - Hosanna 03. Gabriel & Dresden Pres. Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes (Sweeping Strings Mix) 04. Ian Brown - Fear (U.N.K.L.E. Remix) 05. ID (Breaks Track) 06. ID (Housy Track) 07. Oakenfold - Southern Sun (Gabriel & Dresdens Unplugged Mix) 08. Dj Fire - Jetlag 09. Flash - The Day After (Perfecto Remix) 10. PPK - Reload (Trailer Trash Remix) 11. Oakenfold vs Judas - The Prophet (Remix?) 12. Solar Stone vs Scott Bond - 3rd Earth |
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| Originally posted by torontotrance nothing will ever top his 1999 em's. Nuff said...end of story..no matter what he does in the future. |
i wouldn't mind a new mix album from the guy hehehe... i especially like the part, in the interview, where he said that the music changed and he wished there was more uplifting trance nowadays...well i think that is how a lot of people think...not that music is bad now, but that it doesn't have the same feel that it did in the golden years. my reply to that...WHY DON'T YOU MAKE SOME OAKIE 
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I was first introduced to Oaky, as I am sure many where, by 2 years Resident at Cream double CD and then Tranceport, both still two of my favourite CD
I have never heard Global underground 7 although I have been meaning to for ages now, just can't afford it 
Anyone heard GU 4 live in oslo? whats it like?
Personally i liked the Bunkka album. You dont listen to Bunkka with a 'trance' mind, listen to it with an open mind.
At least oakenfold can produce an album thats original material like pvd or tiesto and not just make a mix album and play other peoples stuff.
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| his GU blow away deep dish's and the newest one by nick warren IMO(although that new dreamtraveller tune on warren's cd is on my top 10 atm) |
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| Originally posted by keown1985 I was first introduced to Oaky, as I am sure many where, by 2 years Resident at Cream double CD and then Tranceport, both still two of my favourite CD I have never heard Global underground 7 although I have been meaning to for ages now, just can't afford it Anyone heard GU 4 live in oslo? whats it like? |
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oakies latest albums arent the greatest . .. . but he still rocks the house live.
Another World was a awesome cd...
bunkka. hehe. seems the world only works in one way, that nobody embraces change. i listened to bunkka, n didnt like it, but fair enough if its not to my tastes. the guy's just pioneering for something new. that's what makes him an artist perhaps? being brave n delving into something new, instead of delivering what he knows ppl will want to hear, being the safe way out? as he said, he was exploring.. whether he "sold out"? *shrug* but his best imo was as a lotta ppl set 99 EM sets. tranceport is still 1 of my fav mixes, n GU007 NY. best of oakie to my ears.
I'd definitely go with GU007 New York. That was the first GU cd I bought and the first disc totally blew my mind. The particular style of the songs on cd 1 was absolutely beautiful. I still get chills listening to it especially track 8 (called 'mantra' if I remember correctly).
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| Originally posted by jonnycarcinogen I'd definitely go with GU007 New York. That was the first GU cd I bought and the first disc totally blew my mind. The particular style of the songs on cd 1 was absolutely beautiful. I still get chills listening to it especially track 8 (called 'mantra' if I remember correctly). |
>> Ibiza << Fucking amazing album
Even now I love listening to it!
Agree with everyone about his '99 years. Get your hands on his Essential Mixes in '99 - they're worth it. My three favorites: Creamfields, Miami, China. All excellent mixes, and where's he's at the top of his game. As for CDs, Tranceport, Another World, and esp. Resident: Two Years at Cream (the best IMO).
As for him now, with the exception of his SSL sets (which I think are great), I don't really care much for him. I'll try to keep my flames low, but he's a sellout, plain and simple. In that interview post, did I read right that he's blaming the downturn of the electronica scene on the fact that there's little uplifting music?!? WTF is that? Where did he pull that one out of his ass?!? No, it's because of a number of factors, one being high-priced DJs selling out to corporations, end of story. Besides, like Floorfiller said, if he feels uplifting trance is lacking in clubs, where's his productions to help contribute? Besides, he's one arrogant, cocky little SOB and he showed it last time he was here in KC. Okay, I'm done.
He's not a sell out. If you look at his change from 99 to what he is now. you might say that. but if you used that as the criteria for a sell out, he was one long ago. Look at his early albums, different from his stuff working up to 99.
He just changes, and grows, but more importantly, sets his own trends, and lets us change with him. I dont think he likes to be tied down to one type of music, considering his background in rock, and hip-hop. Common he helped to launch Will Smith, huge rap star in the late 80's and early 90's. The point is, the guy is changing, and the world is finally recognizing his diversity, so they are giving him more chances to put his skills to work.
If you got a new project, would you not be excited about it, and try to learn and grow from the experience, like he has done?
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| Originally posted by Orko He's not a sell out. If you look at his change from 99 to what he is now. you might say that. but if you used that as the criteria for a sell out, he was one long ago. Look at his early albums, different from his stuff working up to 99. He just changes, and grows, but more importantly, sets his own trends, and lets us change with him. I dont think he likes to be tied down to one type of music, considering his background in rock, and hip-hop. Common he helped to launch Will Smith, huge rap star in the late 80's and early 90's. The point is, the guy is changing, and the world is finally recognizing his diversity, so they are giving him more chances to put his skills to work. If you got a new project, would you not be excited about it, and try to learn and grow from the experience, like he has done? |
the new style of music that oakenfold is doing is great, it seems most of you guys only every listen to trance and that�s it. I think most of you cant really past judgement on his new style because you are not into his new stuff. His old stuff that has been talked about above is also gerat music,
I�m into trance, but that�s not all I listen to, oakeys new stuff is really good, and has opened up a whole new world, so other dj's can try and do something different.
Im looking forward to hearing the tracks that he's done for the matrix reloaded!!!
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