Who is Paul Oakenfold

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Q.� How did he get that sort of accolade

A.� Just about everyone knows that the music of choice in the UK dance clubs is acid house, and that the place to go for your summer holidays if you are a club fan is Ibiza. The fact is, those two strands of club culture exist because of the massive influence created by Paul Oakenfold. Without him, the majority of the UK club scene would not exist in his present format.

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Q.� So why is Paul Oakenfold so good

A.� It's a combination of talents ' the main strands of his career concern mixing and production, and his massive influence over musical styles and trends, due in no small part to his skills as an A & R man.

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Q.� What is A & R

A.� It's a slightly old-fashioned term, it stands for 'Artistes and Repertoire', and it means, as it always has, the ladies and gents who scour the pubs and clubs looking for new talent so sign to record labels. Every major artist you hear on your radio, or see on a world tour, has been spotted by an A & R person and given that vital break that leads to a contract and fame and fortune. In Paul Oakenfold's case, working as an A & R man turned out to be a lucky break for dance superstars Salt 'n' Pepa, and Will Smith - Oakenfold arranged for record deals for both.

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Q.� What about his DJ capabilities

A.� Having started working in a club in Covent Garden in London at the age of sixteen, Oakenfold realised that the future of dance music lay in New York's legendary dance scene, and he headed out there to spend the early part of the 1970's studying his craft watching legendary New York jock Larry Levan at clubs like The Paradise Garage. It was there that Oakenfold learned the legendary mixing skills that have made him one of the biggest draws on the live DJ circuit.

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Q.� Why is one DJ better than another

A.� The skill in mixing is creating a vibe, a groove that the whole crow can ride on, and building it through a mixing set that can go on for five or six hours. In that time, the DJ has to know how to raise the crowd, how to settle them back down, how to excite them, and cool them out, and all those moods vary from crowd to crowd and venue to venue. If you think of a dance crowd as a thoroughbred racehorse, it takes a particular jockey to get the best out of the 'horse' on the day, gauging its mood and making sure it goes for home at the right moment. Paul Oakenfold is the champion jockey, the champion jock.

Q.� So that's why Paul Oakenfold is so well known

A.� Not quite. As if that wasn't reason enough for fame, Oakenfold visited the island of Ibiza way back in 1987, and discovered the Amnesia nightclub, playing a wonderful new and exciting mix of hard house and dance music, the Balearic sound. Oakenfold was captivated, and set about bringing the sound and the style to London. Virtually single-handedly, Oakenfold developed his vision, and changed the face and soul of UK club culture and dace music forever. That is why he is so famous, and so popular.

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Q.� So now he just sits back and waits for the money to roll in ����������

A.� Not at all. Oakenfold is in high demand as a live DJ ' he travels all over the world, playing to vast stadia with crowds of several hundred thousand at a time. Apart from his DJ abilities, Oakenfold is in huge demand as a producer and remixer ' he has re-mixed tracks for acts as diverse as U2, The Rolling Stone, Smashing Pumpkins and Bjork.

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Q.� What does the future hold for Paul Oakenfold

A.� More of the same seems likely. Although his status as a DJ legend and producer-in-demand are assured, Oakenfold is still not yet forty, and shows no sign of slowing down. His reputation as a model professional, and thoroughly nice guy will ensure that his career continues to grow and evolve, like the dance music about which he cares with such passion.

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By Andy Hughes