Show Preview: Ultra Bar 911 F Street N.W. Oct. 10 from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Tickets: $20 in advance, 18+
Paul Oakenfold, the international disc jockey once described by GQ Magazine as a "living legend," has been a defining figure of the international club culture for nearly two decades now.
Oakenfold's career carried him from being a culinary school student DJing at clubs in London's West End, to signing Will Smith and Salt-N-Pepa for Champion Records, to starting his own Perfecto Label in 1991.
Oakenfold leapt to international stardom after a trip to Goa, India, where he was influenced by the music played at beach parties. Using that influence, he introduced trance to the clubs of England and created BBC Radio One's most requested dance music set, his revered "Goa Mix."
More recently he has worked on the soundtracks of films like "Swordfish" (2001), "Die Another Day" (2002), "The Matrix Reloaded" (2003) and "Collateral" (2004).
Oakenfold is primarily known in the U.S. for his 2002 album "Bunkka," where he worked with such names as Nelly Furtado ("Harder They Come"), Shifty Shellshock ("Starry Eyed Surprise") and the late Hunter S. Thompson in his last recorded appearance ("Nixon's Spirit").
"By far, my favorite person to work with has been Hunter Thompson," Oakenfold said. "The man was incredible."
"Bunkka" gained notoriety from its commercial success. "Starry Eyed Surprise" was featured in a Diet Coke commercial, and "Ready, Steady, Go" received countless rebirths in everything from the car chase scene of "The Bourne Identity" to "Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2003," and was even in an episode of "Alias."
In June of this year, Oakenfold released his latest album, "A Lively Mind." The most interesting thing about this album is the first track, "Faster Kill Pussycat," featuring Brittany Murphy of "Uptown Girls" and "Sin City."
"I knew I wanted a girl vocalist, but also someone who's not known as a singer," Oakenfold said of his collaboration with Murphy.
"I needed someone who could sing, who could really, really sing, and Brittany Murphy fit the bill," he said.
"A Lively Mind" falls much closer to pop than the artist's trance roots, but also features artists like Pharrell Williams on the track "Sex N' Money" and the hip-hop DJ pioneer Grandmaster Flash on "Set It Off."
"My new album is easier to dance to," Oakenfold said.
Oakenfold's been playing D.C. venues for several years now, at 9:30 club, Club Nation and others. He will spin his new album on Oct. 10 at Ultra Bar.
"I love the D.C. crowd. They're always receptive to my music, and I always enjoy it," Oakenfold said.
The opening set at Ultra Bar will be performed by Liquid Todd of Sirius Satellite and KTU, and then Oakenfold will hit the stage around midnight. Tickets should be purchased in advance, for $20 at www.ultrabardc.com, and the show is open to everyone over the age of 18.
"I'm sure everyone's going to have a great time," Oakenfold said.
