Unless you’ve been living in a tin of Spam for the last twenty years it is likely you would have heard the name Oakenfold. The ubiquitous and multifarious Paul Oakenfold – DJ, producer, record label boss and general Godlike figure to millions of dance music fans – would be known even by your dear old Nan as the ‘fella who did the music for Big Brother’. However, just to make sure you’re fully up to date with the life and times of a living legend, here is a brief Match of the Day-type recap.
He was born a Londoner in 1963 and during the 70’s began his DJ persona at a wine bar in Covent Garden; he was the A&R man at Champion who signed Will Smith and Salt & Pepper; he has appeared on Blue Peter with a breakdancing crew; his production career began in 1988 when he worked alongside Steve Osborne under the moniker, Electra; he toured with U2 in the 90s; he has remixed such greats as New Order, the Cure, Massive Attack and Stone Roses; he has remixed such not-so-greats as M People and Simply Red; he was awarded with the Dance Record of the Year by NME for his production on Happy Mondays’ single ‘Wrote for Luck’; he is the first DJ to perform at the Great Wall of China and to have a complete sell out the Hollywood Bowl; he was a resident at Liverpool’s super club, Cream, until 1999, before taking up the position as Director of Music at the Leicester Square’s Home (which was doomed to fail after he left); he worked on the James Bond game Goldeneye: Rogue Agent; he is the only DJ to have his own display at the Hard Rock Caf? Rock and Roll museum; he was listed as one of Q Magazine’s ’50 bands to see before you die’; he is a qualified chef; he penned the soundtracks for movies such as Planet of the Apes, Swordfish and Collateral (plus has three more movies on the way in 2006); and his new album, Lively Mind, contains a bounty of collaborative goodies from the likes of actress Brittany Murphy, King Nerd Pharrell Williams and the flashiest of grand masters Grandmaster Flash. Now, if that lot doesn’t tickle your fancy, then here are some words of the finest wisdom from the man himself. I spoke with Paul recently ahead of his Hi:Fi festival and album release party double header.
