Paul Oakenfold Interview

Paul Oakenfold

Are you excited by the new album? Plenty of surprises in store?

I’m very excited. It took a long time. The surprises come in new talent – rock band Bad Apples and Spitfire, and an actress doing her first vocal performance, Brittany Murphy, from Sin City. She’ll surprise you. It’s a very dance-focused record. Much more so than the last one.

Brittany Murphy is great! She's obviously better looking than Simply Red, who you've worked with in the past...

Well, I think he’s a very good singer and the song I did for him got to number one.

What made you choose Brittany Murphy?

I wanted a different feel, someone from a different walk of life to me, and I've been getting more involved in the film side of things - I have two movie soundtracks due out this year [Fever and The Heavy]. Brittany Murphy was perfect. She can really sing extremely well.

You've done a lot of other film stuff in the past, like the Planet Of The Apes remake and Swordfish. Is this an area you're really pursuing?

Yeah absolutely, I've spent the last three years working in soundtracks, finding more time to focus on writing and stuff. It's why I ended up cutting down on the DJing. I've got a lot going on in film.

We thought Helena Bonham Carter was strangely appealing as a primate in Planet Of The Apes.

Yes, she was! I'm sure your readers will think that.

You're remixing Embrace’s official World Cup song. What do you think of it?

I like the lyrical content of it. I think it’s the best of a bunch that’s out there, and everyone in the press seems to be raving about it. I don’t know who chose it, but they asked me to remix it, so I am!

Is it not true that all World Cup songs are crap unless John Barnes is rapping on it?

Um...I don’t think John Barnes is a very good rapper. I wouldn’t want John Barnes rapping on it, no.

What footballers would you like rapping on your record then?

None of them. I think footballers should maybe stop focusing on the silly haircuts that a lot of them wear. They look like popstars rather than footballers.

Surely a Gary Neville rap could add something?

Gary Neville? Hahahahahahaha.

Wayne Rooney?

Wayne Rooney does rap. Unfortunately, no-one can understand what he says. I mean who can understand what Wayne Rooney says in an interview? I can’t.

Rio Ferdinand? That’s our final offer. He’s a budding DJ.

Is he? Really? You're joking.

He's obviously not big on the circuit then.

No.

You’ve been credited with helping turn Ibiza into clubber’s paradise. What makes a place ‘clubber’s paradise’?

Many different things. Open-air clubs. Great music. Good soundsystem. Fun people around you. Partying all-night.

Wouldn’t you fancy the challenge of turning somewhere completely different, like Luton, into Clubber’s Paradise?

Ha ha – no. I’ll pass on that one. Take a raincheck. Luton wouldn’t be possible.

Do you still get embarrased by people dancing to your music?

Definitetly. All the time.

Who can't dance?

White people.

All of them?

Well, I hope not.

Single Faster Pussycat (featuring Brittany Murphy) is out 29 May

The album 'A Lively Mind' is out 5 June