A History of the Roland 303 in 10 Tracks

Josh Wink is the type of artist within dance music that defies the concept of bios, summaries, or any sort of written feature to depict his indelible effect on the global scene.

For a proper list of his accolades and achievements one would need to deliver a volume that spans nearly 40 years, complete with an index and a glossary of terms that have since gone extinct with the unstoppable turn of time so many years on.

Wink got his start in the early ‘80s as an underage mobile DJ, and as house music started to take over the US, he was a pioneering figure in the warehouse scene of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his home town.

With the explosion of house music, Wink was already churning out multiple hits that rattled both underground functions and bumping clubs. His classics, “Don’t Laugh” and “Higher State of Consciousness” came out all the way back in 1995 with another classic, “I’m Ready,” coming soon after in 1997.

Even prior to these various weapons, Wink was running his own label, Ovum Recordings, alongside the fellow legend of the Philadelphia scene, King Britt. Beginning in 1994, this imprint has defined the minimalist approach that Wink brings to every aspect of his artist profile.

In nearly 30 years, the label hasn’t yet cracked 200 releases, but the ones they do have depict the history of dance music. There are releases from DJ Pierre in 2003, Steve Bug in 2004, Chris Liebing in 2009, but also forays into the future with offerings from modern tastemakers like Justin Jay.

From there it’s only natural Wink’s played practically every major stage and club in the world while putting out consistent records including five full-length studio albums.

Far more research is required to fully understand the scope of his time in dance music. Or perhaps all it takes is one turn on the dance floor with Wink on the decks?

Josh Wink

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