Planet Perfecto: Interview with Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold must love Scottsdale. He is coming back for another show in a couple of weeks. He was here not long ago when he performed at El Santo Cantina poolside. As the city prepares for the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open, some of us are preparing to dance the night away in Old Town Scottsdale. I sat down with Paul to discuss his new remix of the Bruno Mars hit single Locked Out Of Heaven, his Concrete Sneakers project with Matt Goss, and his tour with Madonna.

Make sure to get your tickets to see Paul at Wild Knight on Friday, February 1. Tickets are currently moving fast. Let’s dance, people!

rickyleepotts: You were just in the Valley a few months ago. You performed at El Santo Cantina. Are you excited to be back in the Valley performing at Wild Knight?

Paul Oakenfold: Yeah, I really enjoy coming to Phoenix. I’ve been coming there for many years, and there is a good crowd that is really into electronic music. I’m looking forward to it.

rlp: I am really digging the Bruno Mars remix. Tell me a little bit more about your remix of Locked Out Of Heaven. Did you get to work with Bruno directly, or did he just send you the track?

PO: They send you the stems and you do the mix from there. I didn’t get to work with him in the studio. The remix is doing well at the moment. I am really happy with it.

Bruno Mars – Locked Out Of Heaven (Paul Oakenfold Remix) PREVIEW

rlp: The first time I saw you live was in Las Vegas. Las Vegas seems to be killing it right now. Why do you think Las Vegas is a melting pot for dance and how often do you find yourself performing in Vegas?

PO: I had a residency there for nearly three years. It was a great moment to be there on most weeks, and I really enjoyed it. As a team we really built something there that served as a foundation for a lot of people.

rlp: You will be in Scottsdale during the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Are you going to be watching any golf while you are in town?

PO: (Laughs.) No. No, I won’t.

rlp: You have another single coming out featuring Matt Goss under the Concrete Sneakers moniker.

PO: Yeah, that’s a collaboration that we’ve done under the name Concrete Sneakers. Matt is a great singer and a great songwriter and it was a pleasure working with him. We are going to continue to do stuff under that name.

Paul Oakenfold & Matt Goss present The Concrete Sneakers – Touch The Sky (Disfunktion Remix)

rlp: It seems a lot of artists are dropping the podcast. Planet Perfecto is still going strong. Any idea why people are dropping the podcast?

PO: I don’t know why people are dropping it. With Planet Perfecto, we enjoy it. It’s an avenue to get new music out and share it with other people. It is part of what we do as a label.

rlp: You ended 2012 on the road with Madonna as a part of the MDNA tour. What was it like being on tour with her?

PO: That was great. I am very lucky. That is the third tour I have done with her. I really enjoyed it. She didn’t seem to play to a lot of people that are realistically clubbers. To play a different kind of sound and different music; I enjoy that.

Paul Oakenfold Madonna MDNA Tour – Quebec City

rlp: I know this came out a couple of months ago, but tell me a little bit more about the Four Seasons Boxset.

PO: That was to showcase the kind of sound of electronic music. It really represented the underground and a lot of new artists that are on the scene and from around the world. It really is the underground of what is going on in electronic music.

rlp: Your sound has been evolving for the last few years. How are you going to keep the momentum going in 2013?

PO: I enjoy all kinds of music. The next artist album will be based on the last two artist albums, which are songs and really great collaborations featuring uplifting melodic beats. Then I will do something underground after that. I like the idea of a balance.

rlp: Thank you for the time today, Paul. Really excited to see you again in a few weeks. In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.

PO: Thank you for the support. I look forward to coming at the end of the month. I always have fun when I am down there.

Learn more about Paul Oakenfold. Buy Tickets for Paul Oakenfold @ Sound Kitchen on Friday, February 1.