On April 5th two pioneers of electronic music, Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox unite for their first ever collaboration “Concentrate,” coming out as part of ‘Perfecto 30’ a huge celebration of the label’s 30th anniversary.
Paul and Carl have known each other since the early 90s, Carl was signed to Perfecto and duo have often shared the stage, playing together all over the world, the last time being their history making set at Stonehenge in 2018. But unbelievably they’ve never made a track together, until now…
A seamless blend of their unique styles, of course ‘Concentrate’ is a banger. It’s a testament to their collective prowess showcasing a fusion of cutting-edge sounds and infectious rhythms, an exhilarating slice of techno from two giants of dance music doing what they do best. And what better way to mark 30 years of the iconic label.
Paul Oakenfold: “It’s the 30th anniversary of one of the leading labels in the dance world, Perfecto Records. Teaming up with Carl for ‘Concentrate’ was a natural evolution for us. It’s our way of paying homage to our history and to show where we’re at right now musically. Carl is a pioneering legend that was signed to the label so it marks a nice full circle moment. This is the first collaboration of many to come.”
Carl Cox adds, “Working with Paul on this track was an absolute blast. ‘Concentrate’ represents the perfect synergy between our styles, and we can’t wait for our everyone to hear it.”
‘Concentrate’ comes out as part of this year’s ‘Perfecto 30’ – a year of special releases, remixes, collaborations and live events to celebrate a huge milestone of one of dance music’s most iconic labels. There’s a documentary coming, Welcome to Perfecto (which features commentary from the legendary likes of Fatboy Slim, Carl Cox, Todd Terry and David Guetta and more) and Paul himself will make a series of special DJ appearances crisscrossing America and the UK to Ibiza and Australia –involving the parties, festivals, and superclubs like Cream where he made his name. He’ll be revisiting Perfecto classics and deep cuts like PPK’s “ResuRection,” Planet Perfecto’s “Bullet in a Gun,” and his own smashes like “Starry Eyed Surprise” (the hit collaboration with Crazy Town’s Shifty Shellshock from Oakenfold’s platinum debut solo album, 2002’s Bunkka). And they’ll be releases from today’s most cutting-edge artists and producers including Velvet Cash, Danny Stubbs, Blink, Adam White, and Nat Monday.
‘Perfecto 30’ will celebrate the full heritage and influence of the dance-music empire Oakenfold has built – from helping create DJ superstars out of the likes of Hernán Cattáneo, Mark Ronson, and David Guetta to bringing underground dance sounds to fresh ears. Across the main Perfecto imprint and its four sub-labels – Perfecto Records, Perfecto Fluoro, Perfecto Black, and Perfecto House – the label has touched nearly every significant dance movement of modern times, from progressive, trance, and EDM but also drum and bass, Balearic, electro, and beyond.
For the next chapter of Perfecto, Oakenfold claims he’s returning to the roots of the label’s original mission. “I’m going back to doing straight club records – underground tracks that I love,” Oakenfold says. “Perfecto is now a thirty-year-old brand: there are generations that have grown up with the sound. They got into dance music and have grown up with the label, collecting our vinyl from day one. It’s turned into much more than a label. So to celebrate that spirit, I’m just going to do what I’m good at and really love – and go out in a blaze of glory for my last dance.”
