Josh Wink
Ovum Recordings
Anyone (like me) who wanted an album of bangers in the vein of 1995’s ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ is going to be severely disappointed by When a Banana Was Just a Banana, Josh Wink’s eighth studio album.
Subtle techno is the name of the game here, with this mixed track album evoking images of being in an underwater strip club or aquatic brothel. Unearthly, eerie sounds and faint repetitive beats make for an almost ethereal aural experience. ‘Dolphin Smack’ verges on psy-trance but thankfully manages to stop itself before it sinks to those unforgiveable depths.
As the nine songs on the album merge seamlessly from one to the next (this itself being evidence of Wink’s skills as a DJ as he slows or speeds up each track to make a perfect transition) it’s hard to get excited by nor identify a particularly stand out track; but opener ‘Airplane Électronique’ and closer ‘Stay out All Night’ are reasonably catchy.
It must be remembered that this is minimal techno, and the only thing this mediocre genre really breeds is poncey bars in small towns packed full of local types wearing Zara chatting up bland girls in highlights loving something that ultimately is a bit dull as they think it’s some kind of soundtrack of the city… compared to some of this ilk, it’s really not that bad.
It’s hard to take this album seriously when it has such an absurd, almost puerile name, and on first listen, it’s easily forgettable. Whilst it arguably lacks much of a punch, it’s not so slumbersome it makes you want to contact Mr. Wink and advise him to change his first name to ‘Forty’. Maybe ‘Thirty-Eight’, but certainly not forty. Apricotte Gold
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