Label Focus – Josh Wink’s Ovum Recordings
Happy 30th birthday Ovum!
WHEN & WHY DID THE LABEL START?
Labe came into existence in 1994 in Philadelphia. I started the label as I wanted to have more control over my own music which before Ovum I was signing music to various labels worldwide. But had some issues with a couple of the labels… So, I figured I’d start a label run by artists, signing diverse electronic music we felt in our hearts.
GIVE US A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’VE RELEASED SINCE THEN….
We have a large and impressive roster of artists that we’ve worked with since 1994. 30 years is a long time, so as you can imagine we’ve released a lot of music in that time. We originally released techno, acid, drum & bass, soulful downtempo and different variations of house music.
WHAT QUALITIES ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE MUSIC YOU RELEASE?
Music that resonates in our hearts. Music that we feel will stand the test of time and not be constrained to fads or trends. Whatever that music may be, we’re signing releases based on how it makes us feel rather than what we think it will do in regards to trends or sales.
WHAT KIND OF VISUAL IDENTITY DOES THE LABEL HAVE (ARTWORK, VIDEOS ETC) ?
We’ve always focused on music rather than a visual identity. So, we’re happy and proud of the artwork that we’ve supplied our releases and the graphic designers we work with and have worked with over the years. It tends to be more of a clean, minimal and classy style.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST SELLING RELEASE TO DATE? TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT AND WHY YOU THINK IT WAS SO POPULAR.
Josh Wink – ‘Are You There’. Timing was perfect on this track. It combined breaks, acid and the techno spirit and a vocal hook, which stayed in your head, and was easy to identify, before Shazam and smart phones were a part of our lives.
NAME ONE RELEASE THAT YOU THINK DESERVED TO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN IT DID.
Josh Wink – ‘Talking To You’. Another acid monster which got incredible support from DJs and people really enjoyed it, but it somehow just stayed in the underground and never really went that extra distance we believed it deserved.
IF YOU COULD SIGN ANY ARTIST, ALIVE OR DEAD, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
808 State when A Guy Called Gerald was in the band. NewBuild era. They made music that inspired me at that point in time and still inspires me with that music today.
WHICH OTHER LABELS DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?
Any label that stays true to their integrity and signs music that resonates in their hearts and remains full of excitement- Where you desire more and you want to keep coming back to hear the goodness.
WHAT CAN WE LOOK TO FROM YOUR LABEL NEXT?
New releases from me. I am releasing new music that pushes my boundaries and gets me out of my comfortable space as a producer, where I can grow, learn and push myself to go deeper into different styles of music. If you’re a Josh Wink fan, you’ll be able to tell it’s a production from me, but it’s definitely different for me and I am happy and proud to be releasing on Ovum.