Josh Wink has always run ahead of the
pack, as a DJ, label owner, producer, remixer, and artist.
With the release of Profound Sounds Vol. 2, Wink continues
to forge ahead, challenging established conventions of what
a mix CD should be, not only by remaining true to his mercurial
aesthetic as a DJ, but also taking advantage of technology
to fine-tune his selections into the best possible recorded
representation of Josh Wink.
Profound Sounds Vol. 1 is one of my favorite Compilations
it just happens that I made it," says Wink of the new
album's 1999 predecessor. "It represents me, and the
way I combine house and techno, in both my DJ sets and as
a producer, pretty well. I'm not one for holding people to
one specific genre; I love being on the median in between."
The sound of Josh Wink today remains one of a man unafraid
to walk the border between stylistic boundaries. Profound
Sounds Vol. 2 starts off dark and atmospheric with Form Is
Emptiness by Swayzak, then quickly builds momentum with the
minimal and melodic Joshua Main mix of Rithma's Tracks for
a Weirder Day. The 73-minute mix incorporates hints of old
school Chicago house ("Make A Move" by Minimal Man),
electro ("E Series 2" by Frankie Bones), and even
Latin and tribal house ("Auburn" by David Alvarado).
Perhaps the finest example of Wink's refusal to limit his
play list to any one genre comes at the three-quarter mark,
when he integrates Aaron Carl's paean to house music, "The
Word," over techno-flavored tracks courtesy of Rino Cerrone
and Mr. G.
Unlike most of the mix CDs clogging the shelves, Profound
Sounds Vol. 2 doesn't attempt to cash in on the latest trends
or mega-hits. "We could have gone that route, and signed
a couple of really big tracks, and put a sticker on the front
that says, 'Includes the hit so-and-so,' and everybody would
go, 'Oh, I know that one,'" Wink admits. "But my
integrity as an artist doesn't allow me to do that. I used
tracks on this compilation that span a big period of time:
Some older ones, some newer ones, and some unreleased. And
he made sure to include a few more of his own cuts this time
around, including the hypnotic modulations of "Oakish,"
the Blakkat remix of "Superfreak (Freak)," and his
own South Philly Acid Pass redux of Dave Clarke's driving
"Compass."
But making Profound Sounds Vol. 2 didn't just begin and
end with picking the tracks and sequencing them in a suitable
order. After that step, he tailored every cut to meet his
specific requirements for this mix. "Every track is re-edited
as a Josh Wink re-edit. I don't end up compromising the integrity
of the original art, I just altered it to fit my contour."
Only after customizing each song was he ready to record the
final version of the set. "In a sense, I did the mix
twice," he observes.
Towards that same end as an added value, Wink included a
bonus disc to Profound Sounds Vol. 2, which features both
audio and video content. The aural component includes the
CD debut of four Wink productions previously available on
vinyl only: The original "Superfreak (Freak)," "Evil
Acid," "How's Your Evening So Far" (featuring
Lil Louis), and "What You Mean To Me" by Range of
Motion. The visual portion of the disc reveals an in-depth
interview with Wink featuring studio and live footage, detailing
the intricate process of making the record. "It's important
to me to let people know what I did on this to make this disc
different, rather than just mixing it," he reiterates.
Of course, diehard Wink fans expect nothing less from this
artist, who has been breaking new ground for the past two
decades. In the late 1980s and early '90s, when most of the
U.S. was just waking up to rave culture, Wink who had been
working as a mobile DJ in his hometown of Philadelphia since
he was 13 years old was already making his own tracks ("Tribal
Confusion" by E-Culture, with his former partner King
Britt) and hauling his records around the country to spin
at burgeoning clubs and parties.
In 1995, Wink became one of the first DJ-producers to translate
his hard work into mainstream success, when he unleashed a
string of classics, including "Don't Laugh," "I'm
Ready," and "Higher State of Consciousness,"
that topped charts worldwide, and made him a bona fide pop
star in Europe. On his 1998 album, HereHear, Wink pushed boundaries
even further, inviting fellow artists as diverse as Trent
Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Caroline Crawley (Shelleyann Orphan/This
Mortal Coil), and Philly poet-performer Ursula Rucker (Jazzanova,
The Roots), to contribute to a far-reaching disc that ran
the gamut of electronic music styles, from ambient and trip-hop
to drum & bass, as well as the trademark mix of house
and techno on which Wink has built his international reputation.
Since the release of the first Profound Sounds compilation
in 1999, Wink has been concentrating on various projects,
including continuing to oversee operations of his Ovum Recordings
record label. Over the past year Josh has released another
two dance floor anthems, Hows your evening so far and most
recently Superfreak, both of which continue his tradition
of making distinct music that catches peoples ears and inspires
others to compose their own music. Although he used to bristle
at requests to remix other artists ("because you sell
the rights away, and don't own them any more, even though
the remix is basically all your own music), lately he's grown
to enjoy that gig more, turning out such notable overhauls
as his recent reworking of "Blue Jeans" for Ladytron,
Paul Oakenfold's Starry Eyed Surprise, and Depeche Modes
Free Love. Wink hopes to compile his favorite remix gems
on a CD collection soon. He's also working on some songs with
fellow Philly denizen G. Love (as in, G. Love & Special
Sauce), and hopefully further collaborations and production
gigs with other like- and open-minded musicians.
"I get bored if I do the same thing" Wink concludes.
"Some people get pigeonholed as being into just one thing.
I hate that. When there are rules, it doesn't become art,
and its not fun. I've learned that you can't please everybody,
so Id rather be concerned with making good art, and the people
that like this art will stick with you." Profound Sounds
Vol. 2 is classic Josh Wink. It dares to be different. It
is good art. And, most importantly, it is great fun.
