Integrity and diversity ? two words not often used to describe dance music. As many record labels are struggling to survive in this download economy, Josh Wink and Ovum records thrive by staying true to their musical vision. With a new mixed compilation ?The Fall Collection? highlighting tracks from their ten year catalog, Josh took a break for his insanely busy DJ tour schedule to chat about spinning, producing, and his love of music.
Well, speaking of labels, you're now with a great company called System who, personally, I think are among the best out there. How did you hook-up with System and what are you gaining from that relationship?
Josh Wink: I don?t know actually. I think they approached us or they worked with some people like Nigel Richards and we were looking for someone to distribute our CDs. We recognized from Lou and Eric their passion that we also shared and the fact that we?re going after an equal goal, to make a living but also release quality music in a responsible fashion as an independent. We liked that, so we structured a production and distribution deal where we were going at it to get the same thing. I?m not so much involved as much as my partner Matt as I?ve really been on the road a lot trying to make a living on the road to fund the label.
When you play out where do you find the music you play? Is it sent to you? Do you buy it? Is it a lot of what you make yourself or what you sign yourself?
Josh Wink: I use everything in my powers to be able to get and play all different kinds of music. Everything that you mentioned I do. I love being a consumer. I love supporting labels. I love buying music. I love getting promotional music. I love traveling and going to cool record shops all around the world instead of just going to one where you only hear the certain kind of music which is in the taste of the buyer. So everything above. I have people send me mp3s of their tracks to play out or send CDRs or labels sending test presses. Any means I can get my hands on music responsibly and legally, I will do.
I want to mention that night I heard about at Space in Miami when the freon blew up on you. What was going through your mind that night?
Josh Wink: It was such a great party. It was my first time really playing a proper party at Space and it was July 4th weekend so it was absolutely sick how many people where there. It was just really weird, and we didn?t know what was going on. I thought it was just part of the show, where the freon comes out to cool things off. The club was very lucky not to have anybody injured, because there was photographer right where the copper housing was and it actually bent the flash off of his camera. We didn?t know what was going on. I was controlling some of the lights and the siren when Danny Howells had just begun to play. It got freezing in the booth and I couldn?t see anything. I couldn?t breathe and I was using my shirt to cover my mouth. Danny was a little drunk and he had the music so loud in the booth, that I was yelling and asking where he was, because I couldn?t find him anywhere. I got down on the ground because I couldn?t breathe and then I was searching around and yelling for Danny, and he was on the floor. I saw his knee like literally six inches away because you couldn?t see anything. He was like ?oh man, what the hell happened?? I was like ?I have no idea, I thought this was just part of the show.? He was lucky he was playing a CD track because both turntables were completely covered with ice and were frozen. The slip mats where nowhere around and the paint chipped off the wall. There were paint chips in my hair, it was like the craziest thing ever.
A friend that was there, she was telling me about trying to pick the paint chips out of your afro.
Josh Wink: Oh yes, it was absolutely hilarious, These are the stories that enrich our lives, but I?ve never experienced anything like that before.
Let?s dive into the studio, are you Mac or PC based?
Josh Wink: I'm both, I compose music basically with Macintosh. I sometimes use the PC with programs like Final Scratch.
Are you using Logic, ProTools or Cubase?
Josh Wink: I?ve used Logic Audio.
Going outboard, what's your favorite piece of outboard gear, like what's your favorite keyboard?
Josh Wink: That's a difficult question, because I have so many. For me, one of the most favorite ones is the TB303, which is also known as the machine to make acid house music.
The Roland, of course.
Josh Wink: So that has become over the years one of my favorites.
As long as we have great DJs/producers like you I am a bit less afraid. How important do you think it is for DJs to produce and producers to DJ?
Josh Wink: I mean I can only answer it on speaking from myself, which is I like the balance in between the DJing and production. When I make electronic dance music it helps me get a vision, in the studio visioning myself DJing or being out in the nightclub on the dance floor. When I?m at the night club I think of myself oh I have this great idea, I can?t wait to get home to do it. So for me it?s a balance in between the two when I make dance music. As I need inspiration of being in the studio thinking of the dance floor and the DJ, and when I?m DJing, I think of the inspiration and ideas I get from doing that and taking them back to the studio.