Paul Oakenfold
Real Name:
Paul Mark Oakenfold
Profile:
British DJ, artist, and producer.
Born: 30 August 1963 in London, England, UK.
Born: 30 August 1963 in London, England, UK.
Sites:
pauloakenfold.com, perfectorecords.net, Facebook, instagram.com, SoundCloud, Twitter, oakenfoldmixes.com, Wikipedia, thedjlist.com
Aliases:
In Groups:
"46664 The Event" Cast,
B-Real (3),
Brock Landars,
Bunker,
DJ's United (3),
Electra,
Element Four,
Four Lions (2),
Grace,
Movement 98,
Paul Oakenfold & Steve Osborne,
Perfecto,
Perfecto Allstarz,
Planet Perfecto,
Rise,
The Speech,
Virus,
Wild Colour
Variations:
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Paul Oakenfold
Oakenfold, Oakerfold, Oakey, Oakie, Ockenfold, P Oakenfold, P. Oakenfold, P. Oakenfolrd, P. P. Oakenfold, P.Oakenfold, PO, Paul, Paul M., Paul Mark Oakenfold, Paul Oakenfeld, Paul Oakenfield, Paul Oakenford, Paul Ockenfold, Paul Okenfold, Paul Oskenfold, Pauline Strokenfield, Pauline Strokenfold, オークンフォールド
Marketplace 39,704 For Sale
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91 Unofficial
- 17 Albums
- 13 Singles & EPs
- 6 Compilations
- 6 DJ Mixes
- 42 Mixes
- 2 Videos
- 5 Miscellaneous
Reviews Show All 32 Reviews
kingprawn65
May 5, 2020
edited about 1 year ago
Paul Oakenfold is not just responsible for helping make trance the world's most globally massive musical genre over the last 20 years but back in 1987/88 in London helping kick off the whole of acid house/rave culture that changed things forever.
I remember Oakenfold right back in 1988 - his club Spectrum/Land of Oz in London more or less invented a lot of the things that became the acid house/rave scene as we got to know it and he knew what was what then like he has ever since. Actually I was part of the jazz-funk scene before acid house so I remember him playing on that scene even before acid house (but that's another story). Anyway over the last 32 years still the most consistently good DJ there has been. Hs path is pretty similar to mine starting off in the pre-house dance underground in London before getting into electro and then acid house in 1987/1988 and ending up with trance which to me was what I had been waiting for all my life so that's where I've also been ever since.
I found myself in Sheffield the night he came to play Gatecrasher in about 2000 when it was at its peak and when Oakenfold was the world's biggest DJ by a mile so a big night to put it mildly. Anyway there were crowds from basically all over England in Sheffield that night - so many people didn't get in to hear Oakenfold that another couple of clubs (one The Arches where I ended up - I can't even remember the name of the night - but I remember the DJs whoever they were played absolutely amazing bangin' trance sets that night) were also completely rammed with the overflow of people from all over who didn't get into see Oakenfold. In all my years clubbing/raving I never knew a DJ take over a whole town like Oakenfold did that Saturday night it was a remarkable phenomenon. Incidentally I heard he played a blinder in Gatecrasher that night.
I don't like the fact that he dabbled in some dodgy rock music at times (but he made his money so who can blame him) but that's just my personal opinion and unlike some on here who didn't like him "selling out" at points in his career I don't see the need to slag him off for it. Just like what you like don't act like an overwrought teenager about the rest it's not important.
What I will say though is I doubt any other DJ has had the influence on the music and scene that arrived in a big way in 1988 and has been with us ever since music that Paul Oakenfold has.
I remember Oakenfold right back in 1988 - his club Spectrum/Land of Oz in London more or less invented a lot of the things that became the acid house/rave scene as we got to know it and he knew what was what then like he has ever since. Actually I was part of the jazz-funk scene before acid house so I remember him playing on that scene even before acid house (but that's another story). Anyway over the last 32 years still the most consistently good DJ there has been. Hs path is pretty similar to mine starting off in the pre-house dance underground in London before getting into electro and then acid house in 1987/1988 and ending up with trance which to me was what I had been waiting for all my life so that's where I've also been ever since.
I found myself in Sheffield the night he came to play Gatecrasher in about 2000 when it was at its peak and when Oakenfold was the world's biggest DJ by a mile so a big night to put it mildly. Anyway there were crowds from basically all over England in Sheffield that night - so many people didn't get in to hear Oakenfold that another couple of clubs (one The Arches where I ended up - I can't even remember the name of the night - but I remember the DJs whoever they were played absolutely amazing bangin' trance sets that night) were also completely rammed with the overflow of people from all over who didn't get into see Oakenfold. In all my years clubbing/raving I never knew a DJ take over a whole town like Oakenfold did that Saturday night it was a remarkable phenomenon. Incidentally I heard he played a blinder in Gatecrasher that night.
I don't like the fact that he dabbled in some dodgy rock music at times (but he made his money so who can blame him) but that's just my personal opinion and unlike some on here who didn't like him "selling out" at points in his career I don't see the need to slag him off for it. Just like what you like don't act like an overwrought teenager about the rest it's not important.
What I will say though is I doubt any other DJ has had the influence on the music and scene that arrived in a big way in 1988 and has been with us ever since music that Paul Oakenfold has.

vibrasphere
April 2, 2018
edited over 4 years ago
The guy was in the 90s what Tiesto, PvD and AvB were in 00s and whatever is left today. Oakie is responsible for making trance scene big and he single handed opened the gate to the trance mainstream success and fame for guys like the big trio that I mentioned before. Everyone always lists Tiesto, Paul van Dyk and Armin Van Buuren as Top 3 all time, forgetting Paul Oakenfold, the godfather of them all (also should stick Ferry Corsten somewhere in the Top 3, lol). Sure PvD was around at the same time, but Oakie was much much bigger and major act around the globe, while PvD was mainly Germany only.
But I have to agree, the guy hasn't produced anything relevant since early 00s and his most recent sets are only good if he plays the classic ones, like the Tomorrowland 2017, but when he plays the new 'trance' tracks, it's pretty puke.
Obviously the guy stopped trying or lost his touch, but wouldn't you with $65 million net worth at age 54?
All hail the classic trance that will never die.
But I have to agree, the guy hasn't produced anything relevant since early 00s and his most recent sets are only good if he plays the classic ones, like the Tomorrowland 2017, but when he plays the new 'trance' tracks, it's pretty puke.
Obviously the guy stopped trying or lost his touch, but wouldn't you with $65 million net worth at age 54?
All hail the classic trance that will never die.
bell-end
September 17, 2016
Paul Oakenfold was instrumental in my musical education.i,around 1993 started mixing classical and ambient with dance music,then low and behold,I discovered the goa mix and realised that at least one professional dj had already had the same idea.i regard the goa mix as truly the greatest of them all because he realised that a dj could exploit soundtracks to make a mix more memorable.not only that,but he used truly the greatest soundtrack of all time (blade runner) to achieve this.for this,I will be forever grateful.'flouro' was more commercial and accessible but still decent,plus he did a global underground mix which was also very good.the turning point for me was when I went to see him play live at homelands in 1999,and I heard 'bullet in the gun' for the first time.i was horrified.
Things would never be the same from that point on.i don't want to talk shit about a guy who pioneered dance music so I'll leave it at that,except to say that the lure of money can change people.hey,I'm not saying if I had been in his shoes I would've done any different,but I'd like to think I would have stuck to my roots a bit more.
Things would never be the same from that point on.i don't want to talk shit about a guy who pioneered dance music so I'll leave it at that,except to say that the lure of money can change people.hey,I'm not saying if I had been in his shoes I would've done any different,but I'd like to think I would have stuck to my roots a bit more.

Rich.C
November 28, 2015
What is it with all the Oakenfold haters on here? ok if you don't like his style of music then f**k off and listen to something else that is purely subjective, I can only guess your trolling for an argument, what he has contributed to dance music is a hell of a lot and that my friends is A FACT. It makes me laugh when people slag oakey yet id argue its the records he played that are the most wanted by trance djs, just look on YouTube, discogs, tranceaddict, tuneid.com if you don't believe me, some will never be found as they were probably personal cuts, others youd have to part with some serious cash to even tempt people to sell them. Aside from djing he remixed the up and coming bands of the 80s and early 90s...Happy Mondays, U2, Stone Roses to name a few. His mixing was never up there with sasha and digweed but his set construction was top notch, and he always gave you the wow factor!! the goa mix is considered legendary by many, again people on here saying its shit look at the price it goes for....would people pay £100+ for a shit mix cd? I think not, his New York GU mix is still the best in the series for me [closely followed by sasha's Ibiza] back in 1998 those tracks were groundbreaking and those labels like hooj, perfecto, quad were churning out some beauts then. The only thing that infuriates me about Oakey is that he had a tendency to play really good records and some shockers....zombie nation, PPK, dj garry - dream universe to name a few, was he selling out or was it down to producers making shit records?...or was oakey having a midlife!!...you decide! Between 2003-10 he did hit a flat spot but picked himself up out of the doldrums with the mix "never mind the bollocks" mix. If you want overated djs look no further than tiesto, paul van dyk, seb fontaine, judge jules it would be blasphemous to corral oakey into the same pen as those guys. Listen to his sets at Kellys Portrush, Creamfields etc from when he was in his prime [1994-00] and you are listening to one of the masters of the turntables, I have tons of rare mixes by this guy and never get tired of listening to him...Sir Paul I salute you ;)

Hando_Jin
November 11, 2014
One of the worst DJs to have ever lived, unfortunately the majority of club punters have no idea.

Rabbitfrog
November 1, 2014
edited over 8 years ago
Mr. Oakenfold was a DJ ahead of his time, back in the day he was armed with nothing but vinyl and a CD player. Mixing, ethnic and rock music into his trance mixes, putting unknown artists on CDs with top names. Almost any mix CD you pick up is bound to give you a sense of travel as it covers vast sonic spaces creating an illusion of travelling. Halting kick drums to a screech to give room for a deep ambient track, clearing up glow sticks on the floor to let soulful vocals fill the minds of people and occasionally helping an injured puppy. These are all technics that less skilled DJs of today rely on thanks to the pseudo art of software mixing which allows them to stay intoxicated longer behind the decks with less worry about the equipment and the mood of the dancing society...hooray for progress.

SCO77BROWN
February 6, 2013
In Regards to: Surrender (Protoculture Remix)
With his classic-crescendos, waves of wonder, progressive-pulses & spirals of sonic-splendor....
Mr Oakenfold & Raubenheimer take's us on a full-on experimental experience of new euphoric eruptions & timeless travels into toe tapping trance & time itself......
JUST FANTASTIC.......
With his classic-crescendos, waves of wonder, progressive-pulses & spirals of sonic-splendor....
Mr Oakenfold & Raubenheimer take's us on a full-on experimental experience of new euphoric eruptions & timeless travels into toe tapping trance & time itself......
JUST FANTASTIC.......
damianplur
September 9, 2012
It's no coincidence Paul Oakenfold mixed some of the Best and Most Memorable Trance Albums of ALL TIME:
Tranceport, Creamfields, A Voyage into Trance, GU004, GU007, Perfecto Presents...
Paul Oakenfold is now a living legend!
Tranceport, Creamfields, A Voyage into Trance, GU004, GU007, Perfecto Presents...
Paul Oakenfold is now a living legend!
tobymessy
June 30, 2020