Superstar DJ Paul Oakenfold to Play Stonehenge

Historic first ever performance at the UK’s Wonder of The World

Stonehenge, one of the world's most famous and spectacular monuments will play host to a unique world first experience when Paul Oakenfold performs a full sunset set this September 2018.

World famous DJ, recording artist, producer, and UK house music pioneer Oakenfold has been invited to perform by Alon Shulman, MD at Universe, and given the honour of being the first ever artist to play at the sacred stones site in Wiltshire.

There will be an invited audience of 50 hand-picked guests to witness this special experience at this UNESCO World Heritage site and this will add to the unusual locations Paul’s played at including the Great Wall of China, the FIFA World Cup 2018 and Base Camp on Mount Everest.

Having the opportunity to play at the site, built 5,000 years ago, is a “privilege” adds Oakenfold. “I am so lucky to be able to share my music from such an iconic site.  The energy there will be like nowhere else on earth, and this will be reflected in my music and performance. Despite having performed at incredible events and locations all across the globe, sunset at Stonehenge will be the most magical.”

Oakenfold will record their new album ‘Live at Stonehenge’ on the night creating a ‘first of its kind experience’ for those lucky enough to be a part of this historic live event.

The event was conceived and is produced by Alon Shulman as part of his new ‘Origins’ concept that incorporates music, film, performance “and much more”. Shulman, commenting on the plans, “Together, Paul and I wanted to create something completely unique.  Having worked closely with English Heritage it is fitting that our first special moment takes place at Stonehenge”.

This live event is the next installment in a series of a number of special projects that are planned to take place over the next three years.   Paul Oakenfold says: “Its Alon’s special relationships and his long-term vision that make the impossible possible. We’ll shortly be announcing our plans using amazing locations championing great artists and new music.”

As the custodians of Stonehenge, English Heritage are tasked with preserving many of the UK’s most important landmarks. “We’ve been working very closely with Alon Shulman and the team at Universe on a number of exciting forward-looking creative initiatives that support English Heritage’s values of conservation and inspiration” says English Heritage director Luke Purser. “It is exciting that they’ve invited British DJ Paul Oakenfold, one of the most accomplished and recognised artists on the global stage, to be the first DJ to play at Stonehenge. We’re delighted with Paul’s enthusiasm for our work and that he has embraced the uniqueness of this site where he will be recording his new album, which will support the work of the Charity".

For further information & images:

Contact Matt Oliver:  [email protected]

ABOUT

Universe™:  A pioneering dance music brand at the forefront of dance and youth culture, Universe is headed up by Alon Shulman. Known for legendary events with ground-breaking production, special locations and entertainment overload including the genre defining Universe Tribal Gathering festival, Thirst, UniverseCity and the Final Frontier club nights, Universe has hosted over 400 of the finest live acts in the world including Prodigy, Moby, Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Leftfield, Kraftwerk, The JB’s, Orbital, Faithless and Daft Punk. Universe events have without equal provided the finest global DJ line-ups ever assembled including Sasha, Paul Oakenfold, Fatboy Slim, Masters at Work, Pete Tong, Todd Terry, Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier, DJ Fresh and Armand Van Helden.

Alon Shulman: Owner of the Universe™ brand, Alon is an award winning festival and club promoter, author and is the CEO of the World Famous Group – a multimedia entertainment business that includes content generating activity, management, production, promotion, Entrepreneurs Universe and a literary agency. He acts a Special Advisor to a number of brands, individuals and organisations.

Paul Oakenfold:  His story is a legendary one: in the summer of 1987, Paul Oakenfold took a trip to Ibiza, fell in love with the island and its sounds, went back to the UK and transformed the UK dance landscape with his brand of Balearic house, defining a scene, a culture and a generation. His influence is astonishingly wide: he was a driving force behind acid house and trance, created the dance music and EDM explosion in the USA where he still resides, released groundbreaking singles, remixes and albums on his legendary Perfecto label, produced the Happy Mondays, remixed the likes of Madonna, Moby, Rolling Stones and U2 who he also supported and toured with, making him the first rock star DJ. His DJ residencies in the UK, in Ibiza and around the world continue to establish him as one of the finest selectors, influencers and artists, positioning him as a titan of dance music. He has been voted the No1 DJ in the World twice, nominated for 2 Grammy Awards and was recently (July 2018) recognised as the most influential DJ ever.

English Heritage:  English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. Many of England’s most important landmarks including Dover Castle, Wellington Arch, Stonehenge, Kenwood House and Hadrian’s Wall form part of the portfolio. Through these, they bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year. Caring for these places and their collections for the benefit of this and future generations is a cornerstone of everything they do.    http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

 

About Paul Oakenfold

When it comes to a career the magnitude of Paul Oakenfold it’s hard to encompass one of the true legends of electronic music into just words. For over 3 decades he has elevated and shaped an entire genre and remains one of the leading forces in the global music scene today.

His most recent works have taken him from the DJ booth of the worlds hottest nightspots and festivals to the studio producing soundtracks for Hollywood blockbuster movies. His diversity in artistry and ability has earned him accolades from critics and fans alike. Garnering him not 1 but 2 Grammy Nominations for his works.

But lets take a step back. The son of a musician, Paul came up as a young DJ in the late '70s spinning Funk in Covent Garden. Not what some might have expected from one of Trances preeminent masters. But he knew then music would be his life. In the '80s 2 life-changing trips took place. The first in 1984 where he spent several months living in New York City working as A&R man for the famed Champion Records signing DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, as well as Salt-n-Pepa. He also became promoter and British agent for the Beastie Boys and Run-D.M.C.

The second trip and more contemporary influence was in 1987 which brought Paul to the White Isle of Ibiza. Here he discovered the Balearic sound that flowed through the Ibiza air at clubs such as Amnesia. Inspired, he took the music and experiences back to the UK and became its ambassador. Paul returned often holding residencies at Amnesia and Pacha in Ibiza. Around the same time Ministry Of Sound in London was opening and tauted Paul as their first resident. However it was his famed residency at UK super-club Cream in Liverpool that brought Paul global respect as a master of his art. It was some say the catalyst to what has made him a touring legend.

This residency was celebrated through the Grammy nominated 2004 compilation ‘Creamfields’ (Paul went on to receive a second Grammy nomination in 2007 with his artist album, “A Lively Mind” and then again in 2009 for his production work with Madonna).

Oakenfold’s stature as a DJ and entertainer has taken him beyond the normal club and festival circuit, playing landmark gigs that have changed the face of electronic music. Highlights include three worldwide tours warming up for Madonna and U2 (with both artists insisting on a DJ set from Paul instead of a support band); performing physically on the Great Wall of China and two sold out dates playing to 30,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl in California.

A year after that first visit to Ibiza, Perfecto was born. Founded in 1988, Oakenfold’s groundbreaking Perfecto record label played an integral role in the birth of trance music, with Paul at the helm producing massive international hits such as “Not Over Yet”, “Bullet In The Gun” and “Southern Sun”. With countless high profile releases and remixes in its path, Perfecto Records is still the benchmark to which so many labels measure themselves. 20+ years later, Perfecto remains as cutting edge and popular as ever, even resurrecting its Perfecto Fluoro sublabel in 2011. Probably Perfecto’s most notable release was the recent double album “Perfecto Las Vegas” which held the #1 spot on the US iTunes dance chart for several weeks. This release solidified Paul’s stronghold as an International DJ power player achieving the highest selling DJ compilation ever released in US history – with over half a million sales.

Paul has produced for megastars such as U2, Madonna (including her latest release “Celebration”) and The Happy Mondays. As well as three acclaimed artist albums under his own name. He has remixed Michael Jackson, The Rolling Stones and Justin Timberlake and released over 20 DJ mix compilations. In recent years Paul has also been responsible for creating some of the most breathtaking film scores and cues for a long list of Hollywood blockbusters – including The Bourne Identity, Matrix Reloaded, Shrek 2, Swordfish and Collateral. But his most anticipated release is yet to come. Paul Oakenfold’s newest artist album ‘Pop Killer’ is scheduled for imminent release featuring The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Gnarls Barkley, OneRepublic and B.O.B.

Astonishingly, despite all his success in the worlds of chart music and film, Oakenfold has found time to keep in touch with his roots as a club DJ. Over the past 3 years he has held a weekly residency at the legendary Rain nightclub in The Palms, Las Vegas. Planet Perfecto is a fully produced show with 75 circus performers, cutting edge visuals and special effects - giving the 3,000-strong crowd a truly unique experience.

Whether you are listening to a CD, watching a commercial, going to a club or playing a video game; Paul’s omnimedia presence is felt everywhere. Paul Oakenfold is the sovereign of DJ culture and is its most recognizable icon.