Listening to Josh Wink is like being kidnapped by the ice cream man. First, he draws you out with some lush, curious sounds. Then, he snatches you up and pumps you full of ear sugar.
A voice-mail message of someone saying "Are you there?" over and over could have sounded annoying -- but instead, Wink's knob-twiddling genius on his 1997 breakout hit of the same name had you begging, "No, but I wanna get there!" When Wink blew up shortly thereafter, the mainstream invited him to be the next Moby. But he politely declined, preferring to stay on the fringe of superstardom, keep his club scene cred, and manage his Ovum record label. Last year, the notoriously drug-free vegan chopped off his trademark blond dreads and dropped Profound Sounds, Vol. 2. Wink still charges up hills and around turns, feeding you flavors of acid house, dub-techno, and hard house until you reach delirium. Then he drops you off with a sophisticated cool-down kiss goodbye. When you come to, you're sweaty, and you need a map to get back home. -- Deirdra Funcheon
Take a ride through Josh Wink's set at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 3, at Club Space, 34 NE 11th St., Miami. Call 305-375-0001.
