It’s hard to even know where to begin when it comes to Paul Oakenfold. Legend, enigma, monolith, so many words come to mind. Oakenfold’s career stretches as far back as the 1970’s, and cannot be defined by any genre. His career spans from some of the earliest music festivals in the US, legendary clubs around the world, movies, and more. His story is wild, from fake IDs to main stages.
After getting his start spinning soul music in a London wine bar, Oakenfold arrived in the United States, in New York City. Using a fake ID, he would sneak into clubs like Studio 54, where he would network and make the connections that would propel his career forward.
The 80s were defined by his return to London, where he continued to produce what would become the beginnings of EDM as we know it. He helped popularize acid house, and began one of the first trance music labels in 1989, Perfecto Records. He went on to win numerous accolades in the early 90s for his work, including The Brit Awards Best Producer in 1991. His 1992 remix of U2’s “Even Better Than The Real Thing” performed better on the charts than the original song itself, and landed him a touring gig with the band.
1999 saw Oakenfold as the first EDM act to headline the main stage at Glastonbury, and from there, there was no stopping him. Countless headlines, remixes, collaborations, you name it, Paul Oakenfold has done it. He toured as the opener for Madonna’s Confessions tour, scored movies like Swordfish, The Bourne Identity, Shrek 2, and many more. All this on top of continuing to create some of dance music and trance’s biggest hits.
His records have won uncountable amounts of accolades, and cemented Paul Oakenfold as a mecca of dance music; an icon for the ages; a founding father of trance. He has done insurmountable work for all genres and for the community itself. It will be an honor and a privilege to attend his set at Dreamstate SoCal, and surely cannot be missed for anything else. It will be a lesson on the foundations of trance, dance, and all that is music.
Check out Paul Oakenfold’s socials and music below, and if you’re attending Dreamstate, make sure not to miss this one.
