Oakenfold: 'Brittany Murphy Was Talented; Madonna is Cutting-Edge'

Paul Oakenfold has opened up about his former collaborator, and tragic Hollywood starlet, Brittany Murphy.

"She was a very talented woman," said the British DJ and producer in a recent interview with theMusic. Murphy supplied guest vocals on the original superstar DJ's 2006 club hit Faster Kill Pussycat.

Although many saw it as a cynical move to get the Brit mainstream US attention, he insists that the late actor was a serious about pursuing a singing career.

Oakenfold claimed, "It's a shame – 'cause she was gonna do her own album. I was gonna work on it and produce some of it. But, unfortunately, she passed away."

Oakenfold also revealed who his latest guest vocalist is, "I just recorded a song with Azealia Banks... It's nearly finished... I'm really proud of [the track] – and that could be the first single."

On tour with Madonna overseas, ahead of his own gigs in Australia, Oakenfold defended the star - who pulled out of her own Australian plans - from her critics: "I don't think they're fair, to be honest... Whatever you do in life, not everyone's gonna like... I think at the end of the day she's a really great cutting-edge artist."