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- Words Notion Staff
Franky Wah picks 10Trax ahead of his set at Hideout Festival, from Tiesto to Roger Sanchez to Deepest Blue.
Franky Wah rose to fame in the summer of 2018 without even quite knowing it. His tune “Change My Mind” was noticed by ViVa Music head honcho Steve Lawler and quickly became a staple through that summer, gathering a life of its own that Wah, once he found out, could parlay into a deep dive into the DJ scene.
Wah’s partnership with Lawler proved to be just the ticket, and his songs would soon find a regular spot on the dance charts, earning him ever more prestigious collaborations with the likes of Robinson and Jessie Ware. He’s known for his broad, open-minded approach to music, taking in any kind of influence possible and happily providing a platform for sounds that might otherwise languish in the margins, an effort he’s continuing in his new venture – launching his own record label, SHEN Recordings.
Of course, Wah’s energetic live sets are the very heart of his musical identity, and he’s set to add plenty more to his roster in this coming summer. Among them is Hideout Festival from 3rd – 7th July, where Wah is set to play. To celebrate his anticipated set and a fun summer ahead, we asked Wah to pick 10Trax.
Wah’s picks reflect a nostalgic vibe, choosing to evoke fond memories from when he was younger with some dance classics.
"Ayla (Taucher Remix)" by Ayla
"Arguably one of the best dance records of all time. I still spin this record in my sets occasionally and the reaction is always solid."
"Do You Really Like It?" by DJ Pied Piper & The Masters of Ceremonies
"I remember hearing this on the school bus on a school trip. The excitement was already second to none as we were going away for the day which meant we had no work to do lol and this record soundtracked the day perfectly."
"Another Chance" by Roger Sanchez
"This record is a timeless classic. I can tell you exactly where I was and who I was with when I first heard this record."
"Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" by Modjo
"One of the first records to make me feel some kind of way. That sicky overwhelming feeling of nostalgia that you get in your gut, this record did that to me and I was about 8 years old haha."
"Be Cool" by Paffendorf
"Heard this record whilst being dragged around Tesco after football training with my mum. They used to always have a CD player on the music aisle demoing one of the sound systems and I'd hang around there until my mum had finished. This song was playing and those chords changed my life forever."
"Silence (DJ Tiesto Edit)" by Delirium
Another all-time classic of mine. Brings back so many good memories of being a kid. Tiesto happens to be a good friend of mine now and I’m lucky enough to have co-produced one of his records. Talk about full circle."
"Deepest Blue" by Deepest Blue
"Not quite sure what happened to these guys but I remember hammering "Deepest Blue" and "Give It Away". I think I had it on ringtone before I had the proper mp3 haha. "
"Body Groove" by Architechs (feat. Nay Nay)
"People that know me will know I love my garage and this song is a classic. I used to make and sell mixed CDs at school and this featured on a lot of them haha. "
"Give It Up" by Chicane (feat. Bryan Adams)
"Another record that evokes so many good memories. Still play this on the regular and I remember downloading this record on limewire and fucking up the family computer with a virus, ahhh the good old days haha."