There’s never enough to say about this electronic music pioneer. From signing DJ Jazzy Jeff as an A&R representative and being the British promoter for The Beastie Boys and Run DMC, to creating Perfecto Records and dropping an uncountable number of releases, he’s one of the most important figures — not only in the electronic dance music scene, but music as a whole.
Throughout the late ’70s and early ’80s, Oakenfold literally forced his way into the music industry by using fake media identification to secure passage into New York’s hottest nightclub, Studio 54, where he met iconic figures like Bob Marley.
But his music didn’t start within the electronic genre; he began his music career playing soul music in New York. During his stay in the Big Apple, he spent a great amount of time in Harlem, where Hip Hop was the new kid on the block. This is where the beats behind his music came from.
Years later, Oakenfold started Perfecto Records after vacationing in Ibiza, then hit the road in the early 2000s with artists like Carl Cox, The Roots, Outkast, and The Orb. During this time, Oakenfold recorded the soundtrack for Swordfish and worked with Crazy Town to make “Starry Eyed Surprise.”
In 2002, shortly after he signed to Maverick Records, Oakenfold’s first album, Bunkka, dropped with massive success. To this date, Bunkka remains his best-selling record, as well as one of the most referenced electronic albums — ever. Artists like Tiësto, Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, Ice Cube, and many more all helped in the collaboration of the seminal album.
His second studio album, A Lively Mind, also enjoyed a successful run on the charts. Oakenfold is due to release his next, and most likely final, studio album in 2013, called Pop Killer. (CAN’T WAIT!)
Paul Oakenfold’s influence on music as a whole goes beyond what beats, concerts, raves, and words can quantify. He is recognized as one of the leaders of music production, as well as the music business as a whole. A born hard worker, Oakenfold has a mind that has been set on ready, steady, go since the second he fell in love with music. On behalf of the EDM community, and music lovers throughout the world, we at DJZ send the prolific DJ/producer/music mastermind a heartfelt “Thank you.” Our playlists wouldn’t be the same without you.
