10 August 2005

EMI signs long term multi-territory deal with Paul Oakenfold LONDON, 10 AUGUST 2005 – EMI Music Continental Europe has signed artist, producer and DJ Paul Oakenfold to a new long term recording deal. The agreement, which applies worldwide outside North America and the UK and Ireland, covers Oakenfold’s own recordings and gives EMI the option to pick up artists and music released through his own independent Perfecto label. Oakenfold is currently working on his new solo album. The as-yet-untitled set is expected to be released next year and will include the track Feed Your Mind which has been picked up for a major Toyota international advertising campaign. The album is the follow up to 2002’s Bunkka which featured guest vocalists including Nelly Furtado, Ice Cube, Tricky, Hunter S Thompson and Perry Farrell. The set won the Best Album award at the USA DanceStar Awards in 2003. His recent release, Creamfields Mixed By Paul Oakenfold, was nominated for the Best Electronic/Dance Album award at the last Grammys. Oakenfold said: “It’s great to be involved with one of the best majors in the world – and I’m genuinely looking forward to a successful period.” Marc Marot, managing director of Terra Artists and Oakenfold’s manager, said: “We’re very excited about teaming up with EMI as they are a business focused exclusively on music that gives time to developing and breaking quality music, whatever its genre or origin. I’m looking forward to a long and productive relationship with them.” JF Cecillon, chairman and CEO of EMI Music Continental Europe said: “Paul has always been, and continues to be, a true leader and innovator in music and this arrangement fits perfectly into the creative vision we have at EMI of working with long term artists who have unique and original ideas and with dynamic independent labels. For EMI this promises to be a great partnership based on great music.” After beginning his career in A&R at Champion Records in the 1980s, Oakenfold soon signed Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and Salt n’ Pepa. He also worked at the UK offices of London Records and Def Jam. Having started DJing at the end of the 1970s, his reputation grew throughout the ’80s and he became one of the original DJs and promoters behind the now prominent dance scene in the UK. During the 1990s, while continuing to DJ around the world, together with partner Steve Osborne he produced and remixed a whole host of artists including U2, the Rolling Stones, Simply Red, New Order, the Cure, Massive Attack, Stone Roses and Snoop Dogg. For four consecutive years from 1990 to 1993 pair were nominated in the Best Producer category in the Brits. In 1990 Oakenfold also started the Perfecto label. Since then it has signed and released music from artists and producers including Timo Maas, Arthur Baker, Hernan Cattaneo, PPK, Planet Perfecto and Oakenfold himself, including the theme to the ‘Big Brother’ TV series in the UK. EMI is the world's largest independent music company, operating directly in 50 countries. Its EMI Music division represents more than 1,000 artists spanning all musical tastes and genres. Its record labels include Angel, Blue Note, Capitol, EMI Records, EMI Classics, Mute, Virgin and Parlophone. -ENDS- Enquiries: Amanda Conroy, tel: 020 7795 7529 Richard O’Brien, tel: 020 7795 7447 at EMI Group, London. www.emigroup.com Paul Oakenfold:  Biography Paul was born and raised in London, England and began mixing at the age of 16 with friend Trevor Fung playing soul and rare-groove at a basement bar in Covent Garden. His musical roots expanded while living in West Harlem, New York in the 80’s. Hanging out in various clubs during this period and working as a courier for local dance radio stations exposed him to the birth of Hip Hop.  Back in England Paul landed a job at Champion Records as an A&R man his keen ear ensured he quickly signed Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince and Salt n’ Pepa, which saw Paul then move to the London offices of Profile and Def Jam. Paul became more interested in DJ’ing and producing as time went on. In the late 80s Paul spent most summers in the Balearic island of Ibiza - a hippie-inspired community with an over-indulgent club scene. Legend has it that Paul, Danny Rampling, Nicky Holloway and Ian St Paul after spending holidays in Ibiza, returned to England with a new Balearic sound that kicked off the now prominent dance scene. Paul and his counterparts began running club nights regularly in London promoting the new house sound. Paul’s club nights (Future at the Sound Shaft, then Spectrum and Land of Oz at Heaven) were hugely successful. Paul’s DJ’ing skills coupled with his A&R experience made him a natural producer.  In 1991 he produced the Happy Mondays first album Pills n’ Thrills n’ Bellyaches giving the band a dance friendly sound. Although continuing to DJ in clubs, the taste of producing pushed Paul into the studio more often. Along with studio partner Steve Osbourne they produced and re-mixed major artists including U2, Simply Red, New Order, the Cure, Massive Attack, The  Rolling Stones, Stone Roses and Snoop Doggy Dogg - to name but a few. The Oakenfold/Osborne team were nominated by BPI as Best Producers from 1990 to 1993. Paul’s success as a producer led to him starting Perfecto as a record label in 1992.  He still runs and finds talent as well as releasing remixed material under the Perfecto banner which is now evolving. His big break however came with his remix of U2’s "Even Better Than The Real Thing".  U2 repaid Oakenfold by inviting him to act as the opening DJ on their Zooropa world tour.  After this Paul held DJ residencies at Cream in Liverpool and Ministry of Sound in London.  Paul’s reputation for playing great sets to large crowds made him the obvious choice to be the first DJ to play on the main stage at Glastonbury. Paul’s artist project is Bunkka, the first genuine Paul Oakenfold album, released by Perfecto Records - summer 2002. The album confronted many people’s pre-conceptions of Paul Oakenfold, while much of the musical vocabulary is borrowed from dance technology, Bunkka was no conventional dance album. Bunkka features vocals by artists such as Nelly Furtado, Ice Cube, Tricky, Hunter S. Thompson, and Perry Farrell. Bunkka was the recipient of ‘The Best Album’ award at USA Dancestar Awards in 2003. Bunkka’s follow up is currently being recorded and set for a mid 2005 release. In response to feverish demand for Paul’s live performances in the United States, the mix album “Another World” was released exclusively state side in 2004 and has certified Gold status, selling over a half million copies – the highest ever selling dance music compilation album. 2002 saw Paul embark on the Heineken Music Releases Thirst tour – a global talent search combined with an incredible show, which enabled Paul’s DJ set to take on a unique live element – incorporating a phenomenal production including five screens and a touring crew of twenty three.  In 2003 and 2004 over two thousand five hundred DJ’s from 35 countries competed with 60 DJ’s being crowned by the judging panel in their country. Paul’s latest groundbreaking achievement came with the nominations for the 47th Annual GRAMMY® Awards announced December 7th 2004 – which nominated his latest album “Creamfields Mixed By Paul Oakenfold” in the brand new category Best Electronic/Dance Album.  The album was released August 2004 in the UK with a global roll out including the US, the album was compiled of exclusive remixes and reworks of tracks Paul had undertaken especially for the project.  The 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on February 13th 2005 in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live in the US on CBS. This is the latest in long line of US successes for London boy Oakenfold in both the realms of music and film.  Paul is currently producing material for the long anticipated “The Pink Panther” movie from MGM Studios.  Under his belt for 2004 was work on the phenomenal “Shrek 2” and the Michael Mann Tom Cruise movie “Collateral”, and the yet to be released “Elvis Has Left the Building” (by the team who created “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”).  Paul also scored the Warner Brothers movie "Swordfish" produced by Joel Silver (Producer of The Matrix). Paul’s move into the world of Hollywood music production has been remarkably rapid; within a three year period he has earned credits on many movie projects including “Golden Eye”, “Planet of the Apes”, “Signs”, “Austin Powers”, and “Matrix:Reloaded”.  2004 saw Paul also achieved recognition for his scoring of video games – receiving a nomination for a ‘Spike TV Video Game Award’ for his soundtrack contribution to the Electronic Arts Game, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent. Paul is currently featuring in a new TV series in the US - "The Club," which is currently showing on Spike TV and is a series of 10 x one-hour shows chronicling all the trials and tribulations that go into running a nightclub as it undergoes a makeover to compete with the gaming hotels on the Vegas Strip.  Paul had complete control over the design of the music and lighting rigs for the refurb of the venue and installed the ultimate sound and lighting system made completely to his specifications.  The makers of The Club have followed Paul throughout this process and even managed to sneak into a couple of his gigs (including Madonna’s appearance at Slane Castle in Ireland).  Behind "The Club" is the team who brought you "The Restaurant," “The Club” is set to be aired in the UK early 2005 - details to be announced soon! Paul still continues to be one of the world’s leading re-mixers. Recent projects include remixing for the second time U2’s “Beautiful Day” whilst still working with the world’s top recording artists including, Madonna’s (Hollywood), Justin Timberlake (Rock your Body) and the one and only Elvis (Rubber Neckin) in addition to working on tracks by Michael Jackson Jennifer Lopez, Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘If Your Gonna’ and The Doors.  “Film and music are very important to me and now I feel I’m able to combine both worlds” Paul says, “DJing is still crucial to me – and the feeling when spinning my own track to a crowd who can sing along is fantastic – the follow up to Bunkka will I hope, be true to my fans and be a pleasant surprise to my critics.” Paul is currently in the studio recording his second solo album in addition to his relentless gigs and production projects.