MUSIC MY SIX BEST ALBUMS

paul oakenfold

PAUL OAKENFOLD, 53, is the dance DJ and producer credited with starting the rave movement in the 1980s. His album Generations – Three Decades Of Dance is out now and he is live at the SW4 Festival in London on Sunday. southwestfour.com MARVIN GAYE: What’s Going On (Motown) Even if you live in a small country like ours, you can relate to the lyrics.

The soulfulness of his voice and the way he sings makes you believe in the content. It’s a record I come back to time and again. MAZE: Joy And Pain (EMI) A live recording by one of the first American bands I saw at the Hammersmith Odeon. I’m a proper collector of vinyl and I still have the sealed promo copy of this. Those early concerts I went to inspired me to want to be in the music business. VANGELIS: Blade Runner (East West) In the early 2000s I was asked to go to Hollywood and score a movie called Swordfish. I was into film from an early age so it was a big deal for me. One of the first albums to inspire me was this.

It was a great film but it is also a powerful, standalone piece of music. I remixed it and played it in clubs. NWA: Straight Outta Compton (EMI) I worked a lot in the realm of hip-hop but this album moved the dial for me. I loved how they made tracks out of samples and rhythms. You could sense their anger and, strangely, I could relate to that because when we started the rave movement, life was tough and we were trying to find our voice. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS: Exodus (Universal/Island) This was the album for me as I was leaving school. I was in a good place, working hard, with my mates around me. You may not hear Waiting In Vain for 15 years but it will always put a smile on your face. THE BEATLES: Live At The Hollywood Bowl (Apple) My mum and dad always had music on. I realised later that’s why I knew the words to all The Beatles’ songs.

I’ve DJ-ed at the Hollywood Bowl and I bought this for £300 in Amsterdam. All you can hear is girls screaming but I had to have it.