Dominic"Ski" Oakenfull (best known as Ski Oakenfull) is an English music producer, keyboard player, and educator. His nickname "Ski" was given by his bandmates in The K-Creative who named him after the dance music artist Adamski. In 2019 Ski interviewed Adamski for a deconstruction video[1] for pointblank Music School.
Ski Oakenfull was a member of The K-Creative,[2] who signed to Gilles Peterson's record label Talkin' Loud in 1991,[3] and their single Feed The Feeling / Three Times A Maybe reached #58 in the UK Singles Charts in 1992.[4] After the group disbanded, Oakenfull was a member of Raw Stylus, and then played keyboards with Galliano until 1997,[5] and again on their 2024 album Halfway Somewhere.[6] He has also performed with Incognito,[7]Kylie Minogue,[8]The Bays, and Milton Jackson.[9]
Solo work
Oakenfull released his debut album Life Changes in 2000.[10]Muzik rated it 4/5 and praised its mix of house, disco, soul and jazz-funk music styles.[5]All Music rated it 3/5, and described it as "bringing back to life one of club/dance's most trendy circuits dating back to the early '90s."[10] The album featured single Where Did The Love Go?,[11] and Fifths, with the latter becoming the most played unplaylisted track on MTV Europe at the time.[5] He also produces and releases music under the alias Ayota,[12] a project that explores ambient, downtempo, and Japanese-influenced electronic soundscapes, blended with field recordings and vocals. The project's debut album, Helicopter Cuts,[13] was released in 2007[14] on Third Ear Recordings in Japan where it became the Tower Records ambient album of the year.[14]
Education work
In 2012 Oakenfull began teaching at pointblank Music School, and later became a Certified Trainer[15] of music production software Ableton Live.[3] He is now Head of Education and Curriculum[16] at the school, where he oversees the design and management of its music degree programmes. Oakenfull is also widely recognised for his in-depth breakdowns of iconic tracks known as 'deconstructions'[17] which he often presents live at festivals and conferences such as IMS,[18] Sonar+,[19] ADE,[20] and AVA.[21]
Record label
Oakenfull is also label manager and owner of Primaudial Records,[22][23] an independent label he founded in the early 2000s to release his own material and selected projects by other artists. The label has served as a platform for Oakenfull's creative output, ranging from house to ambient and jazz.[citation needed]
Select discography
Solo albums
Date
Title
Record label
2000
Life Changes
Columbia France
2005
Rising Son
Barely Breaking Even / Pony Canyon
2021
Short Circuits
Primaudial Records
Solo singles, EPs and compilation tracks
Date
Title
From album
Record label
1994
Ain't Gonna Justify feat. Chezeré
-
Black on Black
1994
Realise Your True Potential (with Ife Piankhi)
One Hell Of A Storm (Versemongers Meet Soundcreators)
↑ Music Week directory, 2014: the comprehensive guide to the UK music industry and Associated Service Companies (44ed.). Music Week. 2014. p.43. ISBN9780957106109.
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