A Derby businessman is going back to his musical roots by opening a state-of-the-art recording studio in the city and offering a recording session worth £5,000 to a local talent or artist.
Laid Back studio, on Pride Park, will be officially opened on October 1 and is the brainchild of Harj Dhanjal who has worked with artists including Apache Indian, Jermaine Jackson and Panjabi MC.
Entrepreneur Harj was Vice President of Rolls-Royce Marine before setting up Blue Lion Training Academy which offers apprenticeships for school leavers through to middle management.
Despite his successful corporate background Harj, who attended Sinfin Community School, has always had a passion for music. A one-time residential DJ in nightclubs across the Midlands and London he was also behind the talent show Brit Asia Super Star, which ran for three series on Sky TV.
Now Harj is fusing his two passions of music and education by opening Laid Back Studio and offering a level-four apprenticeship as an assistant recording technician, the only course of its type in the city.
Harj in the Laidback Studio.
He said: “Although much of my career has been in the corporate world, music was my first love and the recording studio has always been a bit of a dream – which I am delighted I can share with the city.
“We have created a state-of-the-art studio, with the very latest equipment, which will be available to hire by the general public on a commercial basis and we’re offering a 33% discount for the first month.
“We are also running a competition for a full music track produced by us, worth £5,000, which is a terrific opportunity for anyone needing a helping hand with their music career.”
Harj started working in the music and entertainment industry when he was just 18 years old, organising Bhangra daytime concerts in nightclubs, for teenagers of South Indian background who were not allowed to socialise in the evenings.
Joining forces with a friend, the pair forged a successful DJing partnership as an act called XS-BASS which lead to a sponsorship deal with Adidas in the 1990s.
Although Harj went on to climb the career ladder at Rolls-Royce, and is today the brains behind several companies as well as working as a management consultant, he has retained his passion for music and hopes the studio will help put the city on the map.
“Derby is a city of innovation and engineering excellence and Laid Back can support both the creative and practical parts of the brain,” he said. “I think there will be a lot of interest in our level four assistant recording technician apprenticeship, which can lead to jobs in broadcasting and production.
“And perhaps we will find the next big star, someone who can top the charts and take the world by storm but just needs their first big break.”
To enter the competition, artists should submit a one-minute recording via Laid Back Studio’s website www.laidback.ltd
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For further information please contact Sarah Newton at Penguin PR on 07974 502 764 or email [email protected]
