Relentless Beats Sits Down with Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold is a legend. It’s that simple. The guy pretty much introduced electronic music to Las Vegas, and has partied all across the globe in some of the biggest nightclubs, on some of the biggest stages in front of some of the biggest crowds only to go on tour to play smaller venues that have a more intimate feel. That is what “Trance Mission” is all about, and with his recent stop in Scottsdale at El Santo Cantina, he dropped some old tracks that go way back “The ‘Trance Mission’ tour has been going incredibly well, actually. There seems to be an upswing in the market. The current generation wanted to know more about trance. We are in a moment where EDM has become popular and has become a driving force of America, but trance has been a driving force for electronic music for many years. With that in mind, I decided to put the Trance Mission tour together.This tour is bare bones with a focus on the DJ, the music and a crowd.”

This tour wasn’t about the production. It was about the music. “I wanted to let the music speak to itself.” The tour is something new for fans in the United States, and did so well here, he is taking it overseas and plans to let “Trance Mission” pick up again in Europe.

In a recent interview, Paul was talking about this concept and discussed the importance of cover songs. Guys like Michael Bublé have made a career on cover songs. “Michael is known for covering old classic songs. He is someone that understands cover songs.”

His new album isn’t ready, but there is a big break in his schedule coming up. I asked Paul if he was taking a break to work on finishing the album. “We haven’t announced some dates yet. We are trying a different approach and aren’t announcing shows 6 months in advance. We are in negotiations with a few big promoters and I have taken some time off to finish this album. I also need to finish Pop Killer.” Speaking of Pop Killer. “Pop Killer is an album that has taken me a while to finish. I have been off and on all the while writing music for some films and some games. It is close. This project is all about finding tomorrow’s stars today. I am working with some really great singers working with me on this project including Miguel, Azealia Banks, OneRepublic with Ryan Tedder… I’ve got some big names.”

Paul will also be performing at Avalon Hollywood later this year. He actually opened the club, playing the first gig at Avalon. This year, Avalon turns 10 and Paul will be returning to pay homage to a club that he helped get things rolling. “I am very fond of that club. Congratulations to them on all their success over the years. It is a great team and a wonderful setup.”

It was great catching up with Paul. He is headed back to the studio to finish Trance Mission and will be putting the finishing touches on Pop Killer, too. He will also be announcing some big performances soon, and will be hitting all the major festivals this summer. Having said all that, Paul is such a humble guy and wants to thank all of his fans for the support over the years. “Without the people reading this, I wouldn’t be here. I really do appreciate that, and after many years of doing this, it is all about you.”

Connect with Paul Oakenfold:
Website: http://pauloakenfold.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oakenfold
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pauloakenfold
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/pauloakenfold