JOSH WINK – ’15 Years of Ovum’ Interview on EQTV.DJ

See full article – http://eqtv.dj/words/josh-wink/

As Josh Wink prepares to jet into the UK to celebrate 15 years of his label Ovum with a party at The Mint Club in Leeds, ROB CHADWICK talks to the producer about a decade and a half of top tunes…

Fifteen years is a long time in music. In fact, it’s a very long time. So for a small, independent record label known for creating forward-thinking electronic music to still be around after a decade and a half is no mean feat. Kudos, then, to Ovum Recordings, Of course, it helps when you have someone like Josh Wink at the helm – his reputation for playing and making excellent tracks will no doubt have rubbed off on Ovum, but the consistently high standard of tracks by the likes of King Britt, Scuba, Smith & Selway, Loco Dice and DJ Pierre, to name just a few, is the real reason for the label’s continued success. Josh has every reason to feel proud of this milestone achievement, and to celebrate, he’s taking his show on the road, arriving at Mint in Leeds at the end of July to do his thing. We caught up with the DJ to find out more…

Ovum’s been running for 15 years – how does it feel to get this far?
It feels special. Not too many independent labels have been around for this period of time, so I feel happy and blessed to still be releasing quality music. It’s a crazy labour of love, but I feel that I can’t stop.

And how have the celebrations been going?
The Sonar party was really, really great. All artists who played on the night rocked it. Perc, KiNK, Davide Squillace, Gregor Tresher, Shlomi Aber and Luca Bacchetti – special people, special music… It was exactly the way it’s been in the past at Sonar.

You’ve also been celebrating with some releases – D’Julz’s Second Hand Feet, KiNK’s Rachel, Slow Dancer by Shlomi Aber, and Phuture by Harry Choo Choo Romero. Were these tracks you already had in mind to celebrate your 15th year?
We seem to be on fire with the releases at the moment, and I’ve been very excited about these. They haven’t been programmed with our 15 years of Ovum in mind, but they’re all strong enough releases to be put out this year. Amazing releases! And there are more great things to come…

How has the music scene changed over the past 15 years?
Most notably with computers and the internet. So many people have access to computers and programs that let you make music. It was very, very different years ago. You had to have a whole studio with hardware and software. Now, you can make incredible music on a laptop and then put it online, and have a huge hit on your hands. Music piracy has hurt the music industry, and I hope that people realise that you can buy music cheaply and instantaneously without having to steal.

What else is in store for Josh Wink this year?
Just touring in support of Ovum’s 15 years, releasing amazing new music and doing parties. I’m going to start working on music again after the summer. Can’t wait.

Where will Ovum be in the next 15 years?
Doing the same thing. Releasing good quality music, music music!

Catch the Ovum 15 Years parties at Extrema Outdoor music festival, Holland, on July 17; at Tomorrowlands, Belgium, on July 25; at Super Paradise, Mykonos, on July 30; and at Mint, Leeds on July 31. Keep an eye on www.ovumrecordings.com and www.joshwink.com for updates. And visit www.themintclub.com for more info on is Leeds party