DJ OF THE WEEK 5.23.11: JOSH WINK
Josh Wink was born, Joshua Winkelman in 1970 in Philadelphia, PA, and though he has gone on to establish himself as one of the most formidable DJ./producers of the Detroit Techno sound and more over the last 20 years, he has never forgotten his hometown or more importantly lost sight of himself.
Wink made a name for producing hard hitting Techno. It is Wink who brought us the classic ‘Higher State of Consciousness’, released back in ‘95 it quickly put him on the map. Over the years he has released hit after hit. Tracks such as ‘Meditation Will Manifest’, ‘Thoughts of A Tranced Love’, ‘How’s The Music’, ‘I’m Ready’, ‘Liquid Summer’, ‘Tribal Confusion’ and one of his most recognizable, ‘Don’t Laugh’, are tracks that reverberated through the rave underground set and bubbled up to the surface, influencing following generations just as deeply, something all the remixes can attest too. In fact ‘Don’t Laugh’ is still so frequently heard in the clubs, it seems to never have been removed from DJs playlists.
Speaking of remixes, Wink has remixed plenty of tracks himself for big name artists such as Len Faki, Masters At Work, John Dogweed, Carl Cox, Moby, Paul Oakenfold, Depeche Mode, even Sting!
Wink has also produced his own artist albums and had success with these as well. His latest When A Banana Was Just A Banana dropped in 2009 and was followed up by some remixes that has kept it pumping and relevant to the current day. It featured the tracks ‘Airplane Électronique’, which showed off more of Winks mastery with high tech sounds and there is the funky ‘Stay Out All Night’ reminding us that Wink loves himself some deep House grooves.
Despite his accomplishments, his hit singles, remixes, his Ovum record label, and the fame it has all garnered for him, Wink is known for two things in particular. One is the fact that despite his Techno infused, rave scene living life, he has remained drug free, except for that one case of alcohol poisoning a few years back, but knowing him, that could’ve happened from drinking 6 beers. We kid, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true, Wink is known for his healthy eating habits, occasional social drinking, and, well, he is notorious for not being notorious.
The second thing Wink is associated with the most is his love of his hometown of Philly. Throughout his career, Wink has remained busy gigging all over the world to sell out crowds; he is particularly loved in Europe and he loves the continent very much as well, and could easily make his home there, but he always returns back home to Philly, where he feels the most normal.
These two characteristics are truly what sets Wink apart from the norm. There is something comforting knowing that a guy who lives such a hectic and loud life can remain with such a calm center. If there is one thing we can learn from Wink is that success in the world of Entertainment doesn’t mean you have to leave your past behind or lose yourself in the process. That’s a big lesson to learn, and one we could surely use.
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