From Sasha to Carl Cox: 6 of Franky Wah’s Biggest Collabs

Franky Wah dove into dance music somewhat late in life. Formerly a footballer and bodybuilder, it wasn’t until 2017 that he dropped his debut single, “House Party.” He’s made up for lost time, though, if his trajectory since then is any indication.

Case in point: the caliber of artists on his growing list of collaborators in the past two years alone. Frankie’s music speaks for itself — and it always will — but it certainly doesn’t hurt that tastemakers at the highest level of the industry have cosigned on his talent in the studio.

More importantly, his club-ready brand of melodic house music has proven to mesh well with the styles of these world-renowned acts. Below are six such tracks that have resulted from Frankie Wah’s high-profile collaborations since the end of 2020.

1. Sasha and Franky Wah - Haunted

When longtime progressive household name (see what we did there?) Sasha joins forces with an up-and-coming artist, the world stops and listens. The dusty broken beat and reverbed melodies of “Haunted” holds the listener captive throughout its seven-minute duration, subtly building tension by introducing symphonic elements near the halfway mark.

2. Cristoph, Franky Wah, and Artche - The World You See

Cinematic sound design frames a sterling vocal in “The World You See” by Cristoph, Franky Wah, and Artche. Released only a few months after “Haunted,” it proved Franky versatile enough to collaborate with artists representing both the past and future of progressive house.

3. Lee Foss and Franky Wah - Name Of Love ft. SPNCR

Franky Wah’s collaboration with Lee Foss signaled something of a departure from the chugging tech house rhythms characteristic of the latter artist’s output. SPNCR’s radio-ready vocal sets the tone in “Name Of Love,” whose soft melodies suit it well as a closing track for DJ sets.

4. Carl Cox and Franky Wah - We Are One

Is there a stronger endorsement than getting enlisted to work on a track alongside dance music titan Carl Cox? We can’t think of one. After a chill-inducing spoken word sample delivered by the British house and techno icon himself, “We Are One” drops into equally uplifting lead synths set off by an infectiously danceable breakbeat.

5. Franky Wah and Pete Tong - Out of the Blue ft. Jules Buckley

Closing out the end of 2021 was Franky Wah’s collaboration with Pete Tong, a DJ, producer, and broadcast journalist who played no small role in introducing house music to the U.K. in the ’80s. “Out of the Blue” featuring Jules Buckley is defined by big, trance-inspired synths and soothing atmospheres.

6. Carl Cox and Franky Wah - See the Sun Rising

If it seems odd that we included two separate Carl Cox collaborations on this list, keep in mind how much you have to impress an artist at his level to compel him to work with you a second time. His second joint effort with Franky, “See the Sun Rising,” melds the galloping percussion of techno with fittingly futuristic chords.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with Carl on a record prior to this one, so to work on a second track is just a testament to how smooth the writing process between us is,” Wah told Dancing Astronaut. “I visited his home last year and he mentioned he had an album coming out but I had no idea he’d ask me to be a part of it, so when the opportunity came, I was honored.”