Our story
SHÈN founder Franky Wah has always had a love for making music and first began producing in school. He grew up in a rural village with hardly, if any scene at all but in 2017 decided to build his own studio. This studio would be a place to nurture his creativity whilst soon becoming home to his ‘Franky Wah & Friends’ parties. Retrospectively, these parties would act as the driving force behind the desire to launch the SHÈN Presents events series which has now hosted parties worldwide in NYC, Mexico, Amsterdam, Ibiza and London, to name a few.
Franky was releasing music at an astounding rate, with over 50 tracks added to his discography by the end of the year alone. His commitment and sheer volume of output resulted in the conception of one particular single that you might recognise today. ‘Get Me High’ acted as the initial springboard for Franky’s career and went on to be the catalyst for his first major record deal with Sony’s Ministry of Sound imprint.
All the hard work and dedication Franky put into his craft paid off in 2019, when he signed his first ever major record deal with none other than Sony. Sony discovered Franky through his track ‘Get Me High’, which they then went onto re-releasing. In terms of music, this was a huge year for Franky as he also released the iconic ‘Words’ which really put him on the map.
The year of the Revival. Whilst the country was going through its first lockdown, Franky hit a pivotal moment in his career. The release of ‘The Revival, Vol. 1’ mixtape saw Franky solidify his well earned position in the UK dance music scene. Lead single ‘Come Together’ captured the hearts of the nation with it’s heartfelt sentiment during a time of turbulence and widespread disruption. Industry figureheads such as Annie Mac aggressively supported the record, eventually leading to international recognition between fans, peers and figureheads alike. This record would later become the real turning point in the career of Franky Wah.
Following on from a string of successful releases on Sony’s Ministry of Sound, Franky made his mark at labels such as Pryda and Afterlife and also went on to release collaborations with industry heavyweights Carl Cox and Cristoph. As well renowned Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac prepared for her departure from the station, Franky was invited to guest host her last live show on BBC Radio 1, a huge moment for Franky and an opportunity to thank Annie for the support she had shown throughout his career. The end of 2021 would see Franky sell out his first UK Live Tour and then go on to make his debut trip to America for a string of shows across the pond.
2022 proved to be the busiest year yet for Franky Wah. Fresh out of a deal with Ministry of Sound, Franky launched SHÈN Recordings, his very own label in which he’d have full creative freedom. Inaugural releases ‘More Than You’ll Ever Know’ and ‘Surrender’ have since amassed millions of streams collectively and set the bar for the DNA of the SHÈN brand. Fast forward to multiple releases on SHÈN from outside artists such as Korolova and Shadow Child, Franky releases his whopping 27 track mixtape ’This Is SHÈN’. This mixtape solidified the sounds of SHÈN; Progressive, Tribal, Melodic and made for the dancefloor. The release of ‘This Is SHÈN’ was therefore added to his list of accolades for 2022 that included performing b2b with Pete Tong at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, being the second artist besides U2 to obtain an invite to perform on the BBC Radio 1 rooftop and going on to host the first ever SHÈN Presents showcase in Tulum, Mexico.
Franky Wah went on to extend the SHÈN empire when SHÈN Presents Clothing joined the already booming label and events brand. SHÈN Presents Clothing acted as a vehicle to offer participants of rave culture to physically embody the concept of SHÈN. What was once only a recognisable brand if on streaming platforms or at particular events, soon made its way onto the street, with wearers of SHÈN Presents Clothing being spotted all over the world. Alongside the launch of his clothing brand and playing bucket list venues and events such as Printwork’s, Redrocks and Coachella, Franky also spent the summer on the white isle taking on the monumental privilege of hosting his very own Ibiza residency at Club Chinois. SHÈN Ibiza soon became the talk of the island and Franky was joined behind the decks by lifelong musical heroes such as Sasha and John Digweed. 16 weeks of SHÈN magic soon came to a triumphant end and spurred the decision to end the year with SHÈN showcases in London and Amsterdam.