Welcome to my blog slash online portfolio slash repository of random thoughts and writings.
My name’s Laurent. I’m a French/Italian dual-national, adopted Londoner and spiritually Japanese. I’ve lived in France, Italy, England and Japan and travelled to a fair few places around the world. Which makes me lucky I guess. It also makes me a multi-cultural person, with a bit of an identity issue.
I do a lot of things… I write and talk about music in various online and print magazines in Europe and elsewhere, I present/co-present a couple of radio shows (this is the other one), I run a website (which is on hold indefinitely while I figure some stuff out), I play around with music software and turntables (I never had enough dedication to learn ‘real’ instruments) and make mixes for people to hear and DJ here and there (check the audio section)… and in 2006 I swapped my 9-5 where I worked with online and printed content in London, UK for a job teaching English to kids, teenagers and adults in Tokyo.
I’ve always dreamt of living in Japan – and that was my way of living the dream. After nearly a year teaching in Tokyo I found a new job and went back to publishing working at the second biggest daily paper in the country. A few months after that, in early 2008, I found out the paper was downsizing and so I wouldn’t be staying there as long as originally planned. With that in mind, and other things, I decided to leave Japan and go traveling for a few months before heading back to Europe and doing god knows what.
The god knows what turned out to be moving to Italy for 6 months to get in touch with half of my roots and heritage. In the process I went back to publishing and decided once more that while I love working in print, the money these days is online and I also love writing, editing and managing words online. So I left Italy and moved back to London, which brings us to up about now.
There was another reason for my return to Europe. After leaving Japan I decided I wanted to go back, but not permanently and only if I could actually go back and work on something that I wanted. And that’s why I’ve decided to set up a non-profit cultural exchange project/business, which is currently being launched/prepared (check the site here).
So as you can see I find it difficult to define who I am and what I do in a short amount of time or words. I spend time writing on this blog when I should probably be doing something else, but it’s ok I’m at peace with it. The blog talks about travelling, society, culture, food, music and related things, not necessarily in that order or limited to it.
This website originally had two purposes – the first was a long standing idea I had of putting together an online portfolio of the writing I’ve done since I managed to worm my way into the music journalism biz (it ain’t all it’s hyped up to be let’s face it), and thankfully WordPress is wayyyy easier to handle than making a site from scratch.
The second purpose was for this to be a blog to document my life on the other side of the world, as well as give me yet another online spot to post things I come across, music I like, sites, articles etc… As if I didn’t spend enough time online already. Ah well I love it really. Now the blog has taken on a life of its own.
Hope you like the site. Drop me a line if you want to.
Peace to those I know – see you on the flipside!
good luck in japan,
make sure to keep in touch
and dont forget to add me to your blogroll,
una xox
yo, thanks a lot! we fly out later today.
Will def keep in touch and gonna finish setting up the blog this week when i get a chance so will def add you
take care guys!
Rocking stuff
thanks for the props if there is any way we can help you let us know .Check out whoisclutchyhopkins at myspace for more tunes and info.peace clutchy hopkins and lord kenjamin.
hehe – man, this is damn funny shit. i search for the teeko lp online and who do i find?? lol – i didn’t even know you had this blog but when i read down there were just too many coincidences for it to be anyone else ;¬ )
Waximilian, waximilian!!
Yes yes, i thought i’d sent you the link to this a while back… ah well! now you found it you best keep coming back bootch
yo its ya couzin, just checking on you clutchy. You and Lord kenjamin better have some funkey stuff. see u guys latr. LONG BEACH.
Well, i found your site through a Goth-trad mix set ive been after, and from the looks of it, your blog looks pretty ace.
I hope to live in Tokyo at some point in my life – best place in the world!
Dont think i could teach english though – i got no patience with kids, and i cant speak proper english anyway – im a brummie!
Anyhoo – best of luck, and ill add your blog to my already long list of favourites.
You are a legend!
ha ha, in my own laundry maybe :razz:
@Andy – glad you found the Goth Trad mix you was after mate, keep spreading the word
and hope you enjoy the blog.
hey bro drop me a line – be good to connect..
Cheers
Tom
Shit you work for Fabric?? ha ha small ass world. Im back in LDN on the 10th of august, was speaking to Terence yesterday and gonna try and hook up when im town. Im around for about a week or so before i fly down to Italy. deffo hook something up!
Hey Laurent, how can I get in touch with you?
Bests
mamikO’
Dear friend;
Hi, my name is dopement and am director/A&R for my independent hiphop label call
Takeshi Records and founded from the inspiration of Takeshi KITANO.
This time, I would like to send you a link for some of our latest release for possible review or pick up. Appreciate your kind consideration and please refer to following links for the music.
http://www.takeshirecords.net/download/
Enjoy,
Dopement/Director
Takeshi Records Inc
http://www.takeshirecords.net
Listen to Takeshi Radio at Samurai FM !!!
Hi Laurent,
Thanks for your support always and looking forward to meet up in Tokyo in the near future.
Peace
dopement aka Natsuki Rai