Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold may be the most expensive DJ in the world, rumored to cost upwards of $25,000 for one night. Why? Maybe it’s because the Brit-born Oakenfold is one of house music’s most tuned-in/turned-on spinners, learning his craft and its no- sound-is-too-segregated aesthetic from Paradise Garage god Larry Levan during Oakenfold’s first New York City visit. Oakenfold figured disco and house to be like gospel music, sacred and soaring. From that he forged whole movements, defining the sunny, sexed-up Balearic sound of the Ibiza coastline in 1987 which mixed melodic soul, hypnotic house, icy electronic rock and rico suave Italian disco. He eventually wound up at London’s Ministry of Sound and Cream. This populist forum — and face it, underground clubs to Q102 all eat this stuff up — is prevalent throughout his finest moments: Global Underground: Oslo (Boxed) where he steams prog house, breakbeat and trance (his specialty, witness the vexing Tranceport 1) to a caffeinated head. Then there’s his two most recent CDs Essential Sellection, Vol. 1 (ffr/London/Astralwerks) with Fat Boy Slim and Perfecto Presents Another World (Thrive/Sire-London). This airy trance/house treasure cribs from artists on Oakenfold’s own Perfecto label (like protege Quiver). It glides through the space/prog/rock bounce of amoebaassassin’s "Piledriver," Tone Depth’s clicking/ethno/atmospheric "Majestic" and Timo Maas’ angry, Giorgio Moroder-like "Ubik." What’s queer about living up to Oakenfold’s zest for inclusion is that he throws monkey wrenches like Led Zeppelin and Lisa Gerard in for a thrilling chill most trance mixes couldn’t even conceive of. That said, Oakenfold may be wearing out his welcome a tad with such populist moves, relying on anthem and prank as much as a guitarist who does solos.

—a.d. amorosi

With Lee Jones, D:Fuse and Brendan, Sat., Nov. 25, Transit, 600 Spring Garden St., 215-925-8878.