Exclusively with Josh Wink

Josh is an electronic musicDJ, label owner, producer, remixer, and artist. His music styles are techno, acid, house, drum and bass, and also – experimental music.

Josh is a pioneering DJ in the American rave scene during the early 1990s. Among his hits in 1995: "Don't Laugh", "I'm Ready" "Higher State of Consciousness", and "How's Your Evening So Far?".

Josh made special remixes of FC Kahuna, Paul Oakenfold, Moby, Towa Tei, Ladytron and Depeche Mode.

“I got into this because it was something that I lived and ate and breathed...” - Josh Wink

Reporter: Hey Josh, where in the world are you at the moment?

Josh Wink: Hey..flying from Milan to Amsterdam.

Reporter: A monumental year for yourself and your beloved Ovum Recordings with 2014 celebrating the 20th Anniversary of one of the music industry’s most respected and most loved labels. To mark Ovum's 20th Birthday you are releasing a series of special tunes throughout the year. Tell us more…

Josh Wink: Matt, the label manager of Ovum and I are deciding on re-releasing, with remixes certain "Legacy" tracks. First up, as you should know by now is "Are You There" with mixes from ROD, Harry Romero and Ben Klock. Next we will by the Ovum classic by Dj Dozia "Pop Culture" with remixes from Ambivalent and Joris Voorn along with a couple more we're working on. We will have a couple more by the end of the year, but haven't decided 100% on them fully. But, it's exciting!

Reporter: Check the crazy original of 'Are You There' with the famous dreadlocks here...

Reporter: Your first steps into the world of DJing began via a friend who had a slot on the radio and also a mobile DJ business. You earnt the ropes spinning at Sweet Sixteen parties and weddings filling the dancefloors with mainstream tunes. As a hip hop head at the time, were those evenings endured through gritted teeth or were you just having a blast DJing?

Josh Wink: I was so excited. I don't know of how many 13 year olds were doing this, let alone in the 80's. I just wanted to be part of the whole process, regardless if I was DJing or not. I simply wanted to be surrounded by music, and this help but the 'bug' in me.

Reporter: “True or false : If music hadn’t have chosen you for a career, you would have got into the world of medicine?

Josh Wink: Who knows. That's the thing of life. We're not always sure which path we will take or where the path will take us.. I have a big respect for the medicine world. As my father was a doctor, this intrigued and fascinated me, which could've been a choice for me.

Reporter: Ovum very quickly became known as an outpost for life music, originally dealing in drum & bass, acid jazz, hip hop, techno and house. Do you think we will ever see a label like this ever again?

Josh Wink: There are musically diverse labels out there now for sure. It's the way it should be. Open format. But, they are my beliefs, which don't always yield to what the conventional consumer wants.

Reporter: Five years ago your label manager Matt Brookman chose his 15 favourite ever Ovum tunes. He grabbed records like Scuba ‘The Story Of Attraction and Seduction’, David Alvarado ‘Klugh’, Steve Bug ‘Houze/Summer Nights’ and Shiomi Aber ‘Freakside’. Please can you name a few of your own personal favourite Ovum tunes from these past two decades…

Josh Wink: Here we go…

Wink- How's Your Evening So Far

Wink - Super Freak

ROTD - Track One

Firefly - Supernatural

Kink Rachel EP

DJ Dozia Pop Culture

Nu-Era - Breaking in Space

Loco Dice - Menina Brasileira

Scuba - Swell

Shlhomi Aber - Slow Dancer (Wink Remix)

…and a lot more!!!

Reporter: Does Matt still shout at you for not doing enough social media?

Josh Wink: Hahaha. I don't get yelled out. However, both he, my booking management, my PR and social media team think I should do more. I try. But, I really enjoy not being sucked into this hole. I believe I am getting better. I want to control it, not have it control me!

Reporter: You are a father now, it must break your heart every time you pack another bag for the airport. What is the most amazing moment you have had had with your son since he was born…?

Josh Wink: Yes. It now not only breaks my heart, but he now gets sad with tears when I have to leave on a trip. I do a Skype dinner or breakfast with him every day I am gone for the connection. He loves airplanes, yet doesn't always like me being on them. It's WILD! Every moment with him is amazing. It's the truth. Hard to describe unless you're a parent, then you can relate.

Reporter: True or false : The first time you took your son into the studio and hit the play button he burst our crying?

Josh Wink: Yes. It scared the hell out of him. It was a shock to me. Now he likes going in there and spinning on my chair and pushing anything that looks fun to push. I have to make sure to have the studio 'toddler' proof before he visits. Otherwise things get erased or changed.

Reporter: I have been reading a lot of your past interviews, you talk about blowjobs an awful lot Mr Winkleman. Doesn't your partner kick off about that?

Josh Wink: Nope! But then again she doesn't read my interviews! HAHA! But I don't hide things from her. I also talk about foot messages too! For your information Dan! HA. But, I am a man.

Reporter: Earlier this month you found a load of old DATS gathering dust…what treasures did you find amongst them?

Josh Wink: Parts to a lot of tracks I did or didn't remix in the 90's and 00's . A track I did with Joe Stummer and Bez (Happy Mondays), along with a lot of unfinished songs, and DJ mixes.

Reporter: A great quote from you : “I’m fortunate that a Louis Vega or a Richie Hawtin will play the same track that I do. That’s a cool feeling.” Who though are the DJs that make you proud when they play one of your own productions?

Josh Wink: I am happy to still be making music that DJs (whether) famous or not are playing. It's still such a great feeling, and I am proud of this.

Reporter: What are the 3 biggest tunes on your playlist right now?

Wink - Are You There remixes (Ovum)

Sebastian Mullaert - Chat du Paris (ovum)

Pete Moss "Tried To Tell" - Karizzma Rmx (Ovum)

Reporter: What is coming out next from Ovum?

Josh Wink: Right now it's vinyl only…the "Are You There" remixes. However the digital is coming out in a week. Next is the amazing hypnotic deep and sexy acid of Sebastian Mullaert.

Reporter: How many tracks per week do you receive on average – and are you surprised still at some of the tunes you receive that are obviously not Ovum material?

Josh Wink: It's hard to keep up on everything. Really. There are people who DJs higher to filter though all their promos. I still want the control of this and haven't made this switch yet. However, I see how it can be helpful. It's really out of control how many links to tracks to DJ with or demos come a week. I usually set a side a day a week to do listen, yet still I find it hard to keep up. I tend to miss a lot of promos, but if I hear a DJ play something I like, I will go up and ask, and then write it down. I check to see if I got the promo, (which I usually did) if the link still works (which it usually doesn't) so I go an buy it online. That's my usual progress.

Reporter: I know recording new material is a luxury these days with the amount of touring you do, but are there any new productions swinging our way in the pipeline?

Josh Wink: Yep. Moved studio and made four new tracks along with finishing up a remix. I'm excited how things are turning out! Really happy as I have been playing them out with amazing response! Now, it's what we do with them. Single releases or create an LP?

Reporter: What is the best cure for writers block?

Josh Wink: Make mistakes. This causes creativity!

Reporter: True or false : The only reason you named one of your 2013 releases was because you likes the idea of people saying…”I like Josh Wink’s ‘Balls’?

Josh Wink: False. It's one of the reasons. Not the only reason.

Reporter: Who are some of the artists you are listening to away from dance music…?

Josh Wink: I tend to listen to a lot of jazz, roots reggae and illbient music at home. Streaming on internet radio throughout the house.

Reporter: I vowed to myself I wouldn’t mention the ‘you know what track’, that was until I saw the following q/a that came your way a while back in an interview….

Reporter: Josh, your biggest regret : “‘Higher State Of Consciousness’.”

So, is that really how you feel about the track?

Josh Wink: No. But it's some of how I feel about the track. Yet, all of the 'stuff' it has created, it gets over shadowed by all the positive it has created for people.

Reporter: Have you bumped into Avicii since he made that now infamous ‘it’s only old DJs who read crowds these days’…?

Josh Wink: Nope. But I commented on it in other interviews.

Reporter: And finally, your music is based on tension. So how does Josh Wink get rid of his tension?

Come on. You should know this one by now. Blow jobs and foot messages! HAHA!”

Reporter: Thank you sir. Appreciate your time as always.

Josh Wink: You got it!