Oakenfold plots short but "Lively" tour

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Electronica artist Paul Oakenfold is embarking on a short North American tour in support of his new studio album, "A Lively Mind," which was released Tuesday.

Currently touring Europe, he will hit eight North American cities, beginning July 7 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Among the stops is the Giant Village festival on July 22 in Los Angeles, which will also feature Deep Dish, John Digweed, the Crystal Method, Hybrid, Mark Farina, Christopher Lawrence and Jimmy Van M, among others.

Oakenfold recruited the guest vocal talents of singer/actress

Brittany Murphy, the Neptunes' Pharrell Williams and old-school legend Grandmaster Flash for "A Lively Mind," his first studio set in four years. Billboard's review said there were "moments of pure bliss," but "too many tracks meander aimlessly without finding the perfect beat."

Here are Paul Oakenfold's tour dates:

July 7: Scottsdale, Ariz. (Myst)

July 10: San Diego (Stingaree)

July 11: Denver (Vinyl)

July 12: Salt Lake City (In The Venue)

July 15: Vancouver (Crush Nightclub)

July 19: Stateline, Nev. (Montbleu Resort)

July 21: San Francisco (The Fillmore)

July 22: Los Angeles (Giant Village)

Reuters/Billboard