Paul Woolford is a British dance and electronica artist, working as a DJ, producer, remixer, collaborator and label owner. He is associated with house, minimal, IDM, electro and electronic music, and is also known for using experimental approaches within club music.

Career

Woolford first comes to wider attention through his Leeds connection and early releases on 2020 Vision. His 2005 track “Erotic Discourse” becomes a defining record for him, selling more than 15,000 copies and gaining support from artists including The Chemical Brothers, Richie Hawtin, DJ Hell, François Kevorkian, Laurent Garnier, Trevor Jackson and Erol Alkan. Erol Alkan describes it as a “modern day psyche record”. After that success, Woolford moves away from repeating the same formula and releases three EPs on NRK: “313”, “Sealed In Amber” and “Demons”, which lean toward Detroit-inspired techno and deep house.

He also builds a reputation as a remixer through work on releases for Depeche Mode, Simian Mobile Disco featuring Jamie Lidell, Morgan Geist, The Juan Maclean, DJ Hell featuring P. Diddy, Chelonis R. Jones, Maps and Delphic. His remixes and studio work appear on labels including Mute, Environ, DFA, Gigolo, Systematic, InFine and Local Action. His approach to remixing often emphasises emotion, repetition and layering, and he does not take on every commission.

Labels and releases

Woolford founds the Intimacy label and studio, which becomes a main outlet for his work across house, techno and more experimental material. Through Intimacy he collaborates with free-jazz drummer Paul Hession on “Vanguard” and releases music by other artists including Jet Project and Mat Playford. His own releases include the album “The Truth”, which is placed alongside major UK techno and electronic records such as LFO’s “LFO”, The Chemical Brothers’ “Exit Planet Dust”, Underworld’s “Dubnobasswithmyheadman” and Aphex Twin’s “I Care Because You Do”.

His 2011 output includes a debut release on Hotflush, two releases on Carl Craig’s Planet E Communications, two releases on Phonica, and remixes for Francesco Tristano and T Williams. He also shares reworks of his tracks with Appleblim and Norman Nodge, and gives away ten re-edits on SoundCloud.

DJ work and performances

Woolford tours widely as a club and festival DJ. He plays at venues and events including The Works in Detroit, Berghain in Berlin, D-Edge in São Paulo, Warung in Santa Catarina, Womb in Tokyo, Goa in Madrid, Panoramabar in Berlin, Smartbar in Chicago, The Mix in Paris, Sankeys and The Electric Chair in Manchester, Pacha in Buenos Aires and São Paulo, Cocoricò in Riccione, Tribehouse in Düsseldorf, Avalon in Los Angeles, Jet in Las Vegas, Amnesia in Milan and Q Club in Zurich. He also appears at Exit Festival in Serbia, Global Gathering, The Glade Festival, Glastonbury, Creamfields in Buenos Aires, Benicassim and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival.

He holds a six-week summer residency at Il Muretto in Venice and has a main weekly Sunday residency at We Love Space in Ibiza. Carl Craig comments on Woolford’s set at The Works in Detroit, and Woolford also performs in Detroit with Carl Craig and Derrick May.

Recognition and radio work

Woolford receives the Ibiza DJ Awards’ Best Newcomer award in 2006, is nominated again in 2007, and is nominated in the Tech-House category in 2010. He wins DJ Magazine’s Best of British Best DJ Award in 2010. He also records a Minimix for Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show in 2006, focusing on the history of techno, and later sequences a Minimix for Delphic’s appearance on the same show.

Collaborations and musical influences

Beyond club music, Woolford works with Paul Hession and draws inspiration from improvised jazz as well as the composition of Steve Reich and Philip Glass. He also works with the booking agencies Paramount Artists in the UK and Detroit Premiere Artists in North America. His wider studio work includes production and remix work for the Mercury Music Prize-nominated act Maps and the Ewan Pearson-produced band Delphic.

Associated projects

Woolford is linked with the acts Toe Jam, Phuturecaine Project, Snow Monkeys, The Wackdaddies, 10,000 BC and Ford Inc.