"THIS IS YOUR LIFE" - A COLLABORATION WITH ROBIN SCHULZ ON HIS LATEST ALBUM "SUGAR"

On 25 September, ‘This is Your Life’, a collaboration track by Doha and London-based DNA Records with celebrated international DJ Robin Schulz, was released by Warner Music on Schulz’s new album Sugar.

The German electronic producer and DJ is famous for his past work with hip-hop artist Mr Probz, singer-songwriter Jasmine Thompson and band Lilly Wood and the Prick. Schulz produced 2014’s hits ‘Waves’ and ‘Prayer in C’ and his 2015 single. 'Sugar’ from the new album is already a number-one hit in Austria and Germany, where the 2014 album Prayer sold more than 100,000 copies last year. It’s all good news for Qatar’s budding music industry.

‘This is Your Life’ was written by Dana Al Fardan, well-known Qatari songwriter and founder of the independent music label DNA Records. It also features vocals by Hayley Tizzard, a British teacher in Doha who performs professionally and was selected despite other big-name singers being linked with the track. Adding another local element to the mix, ‘This is Your Life’ was recorded at Doha’s Katara studios, recently constructed in collaboration with leading UK recording studio Metropolis. With the mounting costs of recording-studio time coming in typically between QAR400 and QAR500 per hour, musicians internationally may well be looking with interest at the advantages of using Qatar’s new, state-of- the-art resources. If Sugar does well, that interest can only increase.

DNA Records offers an inspiring example of how Qatar’s nascent music scene is developing both the talent and the resources to grow. Al Fardan’s manager Will Gresford got the ball rolling for the Schulz/Al Fardan collaboration by sending some of the Qatari songwriter’s work to Shulz last year, around the time when the German DJ’s up-tempo remix of ‘Waves’ by Dutch hip-hop artist Mr Probz shot up the charts to take the number one slot for two weeks on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs List.Qatar will certainly see a huge benefit to its musical ambitions if there is a Schulz/Al Fardan hit. Assuming Sugar builds on the popularity of Schulz’s previous album Prayer, which was awarded Gold status by the German music industry, ‘This is Your Life’ could sell in the hundreds of thousands and potentially reach millions worldwide.

Music lovers reading this will be pleased to know that DNA Records are working on a series of concerts for the end of this year and early next year, in addition to a much anticipated debut album launch in summer 2016 by DNA Records singer-songwriter Ryan O'Reilly. The album comes hot on the heels of a string of European tours, including a December collaboration with British singer Lizzy Pattinson. Stay posted through their updates. Meanwhile ‘This is Your Life’ and Sugar are on sale in music stores and available for download online.