(Press Release) Across the globe, no name is as most widely recognized when it comes to electronic music as that of OAKENFOLD (Paul Oakenfold)--and this spring he'll broaden his name with the June 6 release of his new album A LIVELY MIND (Maverick Records). The new release date, moved from the previously announced date of April 25, will allow for proper set-up of the album's first single, as "Faster Kill Pussycat" featuring Brittany Murphy will now impact radio May 2. The mood on A Lively Mind's 12 new songs composed and created by OAKENFOLD is sly, hedonistic and celebratory. Pharrell Williams ("Sex 'N Money"), Grandmaster Flash ("Set It Off") and Brittany Murphy contribute to a dance/electronic/rock hybrid that's panoramic and propulsive. A Lively Mind follows Bunkka, his debut artist album on Maverick in 2002 that sold over a million copies worldwide.
"Faster Kill Pussycat" marks the vocal debut from Murphy, the actress turned diva known for her roles in films Sin City, 8 Mile and Girl Interrupted (this August she'll be seen in the Ed Burns-directed The Groomsmen). The song has already garnered early attention as it was utilized for E! Entertainment's pre-Oscar show on Sunday, March 5. Look for a video to be available soon highlighting both OAKENFOLD and the bourgeoning singer.
The world of film--or at least of Hollywood--influenced another of the album's standout tracks, this one featuring vocals by modern hip-hop great Pharrell Williams. Inspired by the four years the London-raised OAKENFOLD has called L.A. "home," the track is titled "Sex 'N Money." "It's a song about how soulless the Hollywood party scene can be. I've been in situations where people are introduced to me and then they spot a celebrity, standing nearby, and they disappear, literally mid sentence. So the track is really Hollywood in a nutshell for me--it's all sex and money. We deconstructed our original track and rewrote it for Pharrell, in a way that's melodic and hypnotic and just keeps coming back at you in waves."
Other vocalists appearing on A Lively Mind include two artists signed to OAKENFOLD's long-running Perfecto label--Spitfire (who performs on "No Compromise" and "Feed Your Mind") and Ashley of the rock band Bad Apples (who adds his talents to "Vulnerable"). And then there's one who can only be described as a true living legend. Grandmaster Flash, the man who gave birth to the whole hip-hop movement in the early '80s with his classic "The Message," joins OAKENFOLD on "Set It Off."
In other news, OAKENFOLD will close his tour with a DJ set at the Coachella Music Arts Festival on April 30 in the Sahara Dance Tent that will immediately precede a performance by Madonna, whose new single "Sorry" from her album Confessions On A Dance Floor was remixed by OAKENFOLD.
"A Lively Mind" TRACK LISTING:
1. Faster Kill Pussycat (feat. Brittany Murphy)
2. No Compromise (feat. Spitfire)
3. Sex N' Money (feat. Pharell Williams)
4. Switch On (feat. Ryan Tedder)
5. Amsterdam
6. Set It Off (feat. Grandmaster Flash)
7. The Way I Feel (feat. Ryan Tedder)
8. Praise The Lord
9. Save The Last Trance For Me
10. Not Over (feat. Ryan Tedder)
11. Vulnerable (feat. Bad Apples)
12. Feed Ya Mind (feat. Spitfire)
