Events . Atomic 25 Year Anniversary: Josh Wink

Atomic 25 Year Anniversary: Josh Wink

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Atomic, the seminal club night that broke ground in the Pittsburgh dance music scene, Longturn Music has teamed up with House of Styles and 5 Star Productions to present a techno artist who's been at the top of the game for 35 years, Josh Wink!

Such an iconic collaboration deserves an equally iconic venue and we're thrilled to return to the one & only Spirit Hall, which has undergone some upgrades and a face lift over the past year. Opening the dance floor will be all of Atmoic's resident DJs making their return for this very special event. We can't wait to be back.

Josh Wink | Ovum Recordings | Philadelphia
https://www.joshwink.com
https://ovumrecordings.com

When you’re as iconic a figure as Josh Wink, it’s not so easy to sum up a career in a few words—but there are a couple of terms that might serve to get a handle on the seminal electronic-music producer’s lifework. One of the most apt, certainly, would be longevity. A brief scan of Wink’s mammoth résumé reveals the following: Early-’80s as an underage mobile DJ; a major role in fostering his native Philadelphia’s burgeoning warehouse scene during the house-music explosion later that decade; (name-making,) international underground and chart-topping club hits like “Don’t Laugh,” “Higher State of Consciousness” and “I’m Ready”; a label, Ovum Recordings, that’s undisputedly one of the most essential dance-music imprints; and his current position, after all these years, as one of the scene’s most vibrant, rick taking, creative DJs and producers (witness the critical success of his 2009 long-player When A Banana Was Just A Banana).

Another word one could use to encapsulate Wink’s oeuvre is versatility. From the twisting ground-breaking, acidic breakbeat of the afore-mentioned “Higher States” to the organ-groove deepness of 2008’s “Stay Out All Night,” and from the pulsating ambience of 1996’s “Horizontal Dancing” to the cult techno of “Meditation Will Manifest” (which got a re-release in 2016 on R&S 22 years after its debut), 2000’s sensational “How’s Your Evening So Far” and his most recent anthemic big room releases “Talking To You”, “Denial”, “Shoelaces” (on Boys Noize Records) and the musical political statement of 2017’s “Resist” — “For me, ‘Resist’ was a way to bring awareness to people about their rights, their voice, their beliefs, their thoughts. They matter.” Receiving inspiration from all musical styles, Wink also experiments with Drum ‘n’ Bass, hip-hop (Wink was a regular at West Philly DJ battles as a teenager), and varied genre rhythms. His remix discography includes seminal artists such as Radiohead, Moby, Sting, Depeche Mode, Radioslave and Dave Clarke, to name a few.

Wink also runs his own label, Ovum Recordings, which is celebrating its 29th year of existence. One of the most essential dance-music imprints, Ovum has released such varied music including some of the first releases of Loco Dice (‘Menina Brasileira’), KINK (‘Rachel EP’) and Davide Squillace (“Muteki”) EP as well as releases from DJ Dozia, David Alvarado, Steve Bug, Loco Dice, Levon Vincent, Chymera, Shlomi Aber, Sylk130, D’Julz, Harry Romero, Technasia, Tom Middleton, Ian Pooley & Spencer Parker and many more. As with Wink’s own material, releases on Ovum are timeless music pieces; not defined by trends.

Which brings us to our final term: integrity. It’s a trait that Wink possesses by the crateful, one that’s carried him through the vagaries of dance music’s endless cycles. Some who hit big when Wink did are content to live off past successes; others chase trends in an effort to stay relevant. But Wink has always been happy—determined, really, to do his own thing and follow his own path—if the music sells and the gigs keep coming, that’s great, but that’s not why he’s still in the game. “I got into this because it was something that I lived and ate and breathed,” Wink says. “There was so much passion for the music, there was nothing else for me. Whatever notoriety and success had come from this, it’s kind of a mistake, a by-product, and I never planned for that. I never knew I could make a living from doing what I loved when I was a teenager; my parents thought it was a fad, actually.” And what do his parents think now over 25 years later? “Oh,” he says with a chuckle,” they love it.”

For more on Josh Wink:
RA: https://ra.co/dj/joshwink
IG: https://www.instagram.com/joshwink1
TW: https://twitter.com/joshwink1
FB: https://www.facebook.com/JoshWinkOfficial
SP: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6DQLkRykAsF6paJnlIMX4H

Supporting Artists:
Product 19
https://www.facebook.com/product19techno
https://www.instagram.com/djproduct19
https://www.mixcloud.com/Product19
https://soundcloud.com/product19
https://stayupforever.com

7UP
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063554738195
https://www.instagram.com/dj7up/

Zemo (Rob Grega)
https://linktr.ee/robgrega
https://soundcloud.com/robgrega
https://www.facebook.com/robgrega
https://www.instagram.com/robgrega/

B.Dee
https://soundcloud.com/bdee412
https://www.instagram.com/b.dee_ig

LONGTURN MUSIC
In the era when America's Rust Belt got its name, factory workers labored on a 12-hour day or night shift for two weeks straight. To switch shifts, one group would have to work 24-hours straight and cover the labor gap. This grueling shift became known as the LongTurn.
Longturn music was founded to give people with day jobs a space to spend their second shift. No bottle service, no passwords, just a dance floor filled with good people and good music. Come early, stay late, dance hard.

5 STAR PRODUCTIONS
https://www.instagram.com/fivestarpgh
https://www.facebook.com/fivestarpgh

**Five Star Productions Legacy: Celebrating Atomic's 25th Anniversary**
Throughout the mid-late 90’s The Five Star Productions crew ignited Pittsburgh's nightlife, hosting unforgettable raves such as The Big Adventure, Intergalactic Circus, and club events at venues such as Soba Lounge, Lava Lounge, The Beehive, and more. Now, we commemorate a quarter-century since the iconic "ATOMIC" nights at the renowned Metropol club, co-hosted with House of Styles. Every Thursday, ATOMIC offered the region’s best local, national, and international talent, setting the gold standard for dance events in the area. Join us in reveling in the legacy and celebrating another milestone in our illustrious journey.

HOUSE OF STYLES PRODUCTIONS
https://www.facebook.com/HOSproductions
https://houseofstylesproductions.wordpress.com/about/

Founded in 1997, HOS was responsible for throwing some of the most memorable raves in the Pittsburgh/Cleveland area history including the “Detergent Series” (Bounce, Dynamo, Biz, Cheer, Dawn, Joy, and Era) with the latter of these still remaining one of the largest electronic music events in the region’s history. Other notable events included the Community Service Tour (Orbital, Crystal Method, Lo-Fidelity All-Stars), the first Plus 8 Records event outside of Detroit/Windsor with Richie Hawtin & John Acquaviva, Pittsburgh’s first all-techno event (SubPhunc w/ Christian Smith, John Selway, Alexi Delano), The Destiny Tour (Chris Liberator, Christopher Lawrence), Planet of the Drums (Dieselboy, Dara, AK1200), Logical Progression (LTJ Bukem, MC Conrad) and Funky Techno Tribe Tours (DJ Sneak, DJ Dan, Jeno).

Together with 5 Star Productions, HOS also produced the groundbreaking Pittsburgh club night, Atomic, which is what we’re here to celebrate. This weekly played host to the finest regional, national and international headliners of the late-90s/early-00s spanning a variety of genres including two Moonshine Over America tours (Carl Cox, DJ Dan, Cirrus, Dara), the Transmat Tour (Derrick May, Kenny Larkin, Aril Brika) and solo performances from the likes of Dave Angel, Christian Smith, Craig Richards, Layo & Bushwacka, Stacey Pullen, Bad Boy Bill, Dieselboy, DJ Icey and DJ Dan among so many more.

Some of our crew members have moved on to other locations in the world, but Pittsburgh and Atomic will always hold a special place in our hearts, souls and dancing feet! Please join us on the dancefloor again as we pay tribute to a Pittsburgh club night with a rare performance by the international heavyweight Josh Wink for an unforgettable night of house, techno, breakbeats, progressive and more! Let’s get Atomic!

Related Entities: House of Styles
Tags: Acid Breaks House Tech House Techno Trance