PW: International techno legend Josh Wink on Philly and his future

He’s an internationally-recognized DJ and techno producer with the same last name as me, but I never heard of Josh Wink.

Until, that is, a source from a completely unrelated story mentioned him. That led to a profile of Wink, who lives in Philadelphia’s Northern Liberties neighborhood, for Philadelphia Weekly.

For Philadelphians not of a certain age, he just might be the most famous resident of Northern Liberties you’ve never heard of. To those who were active on the city’s rock, rave and club scenes in the 1990s, Josh Wink is a deejaying visionary and techno legend.

Twenty years after his first album, Wink has released his When A Banana Was Just A Banana LP and embarked on another extended European tour. But he’s torn between the Philly he calls home and the continent that has catapulted him into another stratosphere on the international house music scene.

“I would love to live in Europe as I spend half my time there,” Wink said in an e-mail before leaving for engagements in Amsterdam, Vilnus, Lithuania and others — his tour dates can be found at www.mypsace.com/joshwink — but “there is something about Philly that most people understand that keeps us coming back.”

It can’t be the adulation he gets here. Read the rest here.

Go check out the story, comment and come back and see where the idea came from and other extras below.

So how did I come across a legend in my own city whom I never knew? Well, while interviewing Philly firefighters’ union representative Dave Kearney for a story for PW earlier this month, he stopped and asked if I was related to Josh Wink.

I didn’t know who he was – which shocked Kearney. “He’s a huge DJ from Philly,” Kearney said. Turns out he’s right, but, alas, so far as I know, Wink and I aren’t related. In fact, Wink was born with the family name Winkelman but changed it for his career. I assume he felt he could ride my celebrity. Uh huh.

Well now, because of Wink, one of the most celebrated American house music recording agencies happens to Wink’s Ovum Records, based on Walnut Street in Center City. He puts Philly atop the small pedastal of American hubs for techno, fairly or not.

He said a couple interesting things that didn’t make it into the story:

• Even though I’m not happy about the BPT [business privilege tax] and NPT [net profits tax] tax rates here! I sure hope Nutter addresses this major issue!
• “I’m very proud when people from Philly succeed, really. I get asked all the time in interviews outside of the USA about the Philly scene and artists, and I’m elated to mention the people I know here that have blown up.”
• “The scene here musically is always on the forefront, but we get lost in the shuffle of NYC. Which is why philly artist are true and genuine! We have big pride of being the underdog!”

Below see the original video from the radio edit of Wink’s noted “Higher State of Consciousness” track.

Read the cover story on Wink in the February edition of DJ magazine.

See his tour schedule here.

Photo from Wikipedia commons.