When electronic music pioneer Josh Wink returned to Dublin to play in Opium Rooms; Hot Press caught up with him to discuss the industry, running labels and breaking through as an aspiring artist.

Hey Josh, welcome back to Ireland. What are your best memories of performing here in the past?
I love the irish crowd! Passion, excitement and being truly nutters with music! The parties are consistently great! Whether it a small venue or a big festival, I always have a great time!

You have seen quite a lot of changes in the industry over the past decade. What has been the key to your success?
I’m not sure what the key to my success is. However, I know that I am happy and fortunate to still be making and releasing relevant music with an integrity I feel passionately about! Maybe that’s it. I don’t compromise my integrity and release and produce music I don’t truly feel and believe in. Music being music! Not music being a trend or a fashion. This stands the test of time!

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a label manager and how did you overcome them?
Lack of sales due to internet piracy. We keep moving on and deal with them the best ways we can find. It’s frustrating though!

What advice would you give to young labels today?
Good luck and enjoy the journey! Make sure you feel and have the passion for the music you release.

What would you say is the key to breaking through as an artist today?
The industry is a whole new beast! It’s not all about talent anymore. Social media, Likes, being talked about, tweets, how many followers… This social media is becoming more important in being booked than talent or ability. So, I would say one of the big keys now a day is to have strong social media behind you. As this formula is working. But, if you’re simply happy releasing/making music and you truly believe in this simply work ethic. You won’t really care about the social media stuff and be content with doing things true to your heart! And that is true happiness!

Originally published in Hot Press Magazine, July 2015