Josh Wink Albums (8)
'When a Banana Was Just a Banana'
Release Date 2/2/2009
Tracks 9
Label Ovum
See Album Tracklist and Review
'Profound Sounds, Vol. 3'
Release Date 5/2/2006
Tracks 30
Label Thrive
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Many techno fans fail to recognize Josh Wink as a fellow traveler, not because they disrespect him but because he's rarely traveled in the same circles. Known first for his work as a producer, he's not marked as an excellent DJ, while Philadelphia, his initial base, is a city that's never been techno-mad. The mere fact that he's cultivated an image at all makes him a sellout in some circles. But, ten years after charting a few singles in England, he was still around, and the gradual attrition in the techno field by the mid-2000s separated the wheat from the chaff and made the third volume in his Profound Sounds series an interesting case. (The quiet quality of the first two volumes counted for much, too.) Trumpeted as his first double-disc mix, it's an excellent trip through minimal techno of the 21st century, most of it derived from Detroit or Deutschland, and fortunately, all of it informed more by what Wink hears with his ears than what he thinks with his head. (The closest to a theoretician Wink gets is in the liner notes, where he explains his methods for blended mix CDs and briefly puzzles over where to insert his track ID markers.) While the blending makes for a very smooth mix, one that reveals subtle pleasures on a consistent basis, it's not a distracting listen, except for the few productions whose excellence is immediately apparent -- John Tejada's breezy "Sucre," Sten's minimal "Back Four," and Wink's own remix of Radiohead's "Everything in Its Right Place," available commercially for the first time here. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Profound Sounds, Vol. 2'
Release Date 7/15/2003
Tracks 20
Label System (Car469)
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Josh Wink wants to take the DJ mix to a new level, and with the second volume of his Profound Sounds series, he accomplishes a similar vision of technology-enhanced mixing as on Richie Hawtin's Closer to the Edit. For the recording of Profound Sounds, Vol. 2, Wink began with audio tracks he performed minimal tweaks on with computer editing, then loaded them into FinalScratch (the loop-based mixing software first used by Hawtin) and mixed them live -- with a little post-production mastering to complete the job. Of course, the means are interesting only for technophiles and fellow DJs; for listeners, the end is of primary importance, and fortunately, Wink succeeds there as well. The presence of a Swayzak track as an opener is evidence that Wink intends to ease listeners in with sounds from the chillout lounge, though his own production "Superfreak (Freak)" early on begins upping the energy level. Midway through, Wink hits peak hour with trance-state techno from Minimal Man (aka British vets Peter Ford and Ian Loveday) and a beautiful Detroit pastiche by Bryan Zentz's Barada, with a torrid finish highlighted by Frankie Bones' "E Series 2," and for the closer, a Wink remix of Dave Clarke's "Compass." Wink's stylistic career has been checkered with a wide range of associations, from BT to DJ Sneak, which will inevitably lead some to look at this as simply the latest bandwagon he's jumped on, but he has a feel for music and flow that rivals his more respected peers. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'Profound Sounds, Vol. 1'
Release Date 7/13/1999
Tracks 14
Label Sony
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Wink's first volume in a projected series of mix albums, Profound Sounds isn't your average collection. Unlike genre-spanning grooves of the past, where DJs attempt to dazzle listeners with a seemingly endless parade of artists given a minute or two at the most, Wink here sounds more like a stadium DJ, with only 14 tracks over an hour of music. The sound progresses from Basic Channel-style dub-techno (courtesy of Johannes Heil and Heiko Laux) into harder tech-house (from a Mood II Swing remix of "When the Funk Hits the Fan" by Wink compatriot King Britt's Sylk 130 project) into repetitious acid lines (tracks by Blaze, Stacey Pullen, LFO's Gez Varley, John Selway), and never lets up until the end of the album. It's a pummeling mix that aligns Wink more with techno purists like Jeff Mills or Dave Angel than late-'90s electronica poster boys like the Chemical Brothers or Prodigy's Liam Howlett, and repositions him away from the mainstream he'd seemed to be courting with his previous full-length, Herehear. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After years of successful singles and DJ stints, as well as an ambient excursion titled Left Above the Clouds, Josh Wink delivered his first full-fledged album, Herehear, in the summer of 1998. Wink took the opportunity to showcase his diversity, and that's part of the problem -- Herehear wants to be everything to everybody. There's techno, ambient, industrial, house, indie rock, spoken word, jungle, acid -- it's a veritable textbook of '90s dancefloor styles. Head-spinning, yes, but a little too overwhelming and unfocused to be consumed all in one sitting. That said, it's an album with some stunning individual moments, whether it's the acid groove "Back in Tha' Day" or Trent Reznor's guest appearence on "Black Bomb." In fact, "Black Bomb" illustrates the main flaw of Herehear -- taken individually, it's pretty impressive (as are most of the tracks here), but when they're thrown together, they don't make too much sense. Still, there's no denying that Wink is a master of production and can create blinding tracks -- he just needs to find a way to tie it all together. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Left Above the Clouds'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 28
Label XL Recordings
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
After lighting European dancefloors on fire during 1995 with three trance classics, Josh Wink's debut album portrays him as a producer of serious album works. These unfortunate excursions into downtempo trance and spoken-word poetry mar some great sounds over the course of the album's 28 total tracks. Hits like "Don't Laugh" and "Higher State of Consciousness" rescue the proceedings somewhat, though they're definitely the highlights of the album. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
'United DJs of America, Vol. 3: Philadelphia, PA'
Release Date 2/28/1995
Tracks 11
Label DMC America
See Album Tracklist and Review
