Crosscontinentals

Bonus: The Music Supervisor Behind Iconic TV Shows

A bit of Hollywood glam on this episode of Crosscontinentals. Thomas Golubić is a music supervisor who worked on shows such as Breaking Bad, Six Feet Under, and The Walking Dead. He pulls back the curtain on the American entertainment industry and describes how his multicultural background led to his job. We discussed: 
Working as a journalist in Yugoslavia during the wars in the 90s
Do mixed kids tend to have unusual parents? 
Learning English from broadcaster Peter Jennings
Varying approaches to music supervision in different languages
Matching music to the way British actors were interpreting American culture on The Walking Dead
What makes ABBA great?
The decision to place Sia’s music in Six Feet Under before she was famous in the US
Tech’s impact on the entertainment industry
Thomas’ work Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/supermusicvision
Thomas’ personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomasgolubic/
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i
 

How World Music Went from Unique to Ubiquitous

When Natacha Atlas began her career in the 80s, her music raised many eyebrows. Eventually, the world caught up, and the way in which she mixes global influences became so commonplace, it’s now heard everywhere. 
We discussed: 
Natacha’s Rosicrucianism-influenced school 
Observing how world music became just music
Natacha’s return to electronic music 
The professional and personal collaboration between Natacha and her partner Samy
Why Natacha doesn’t want to live in London again 
The longevity of Natacha’s collaboration with Christian Louboutin
Why moving around is important for creativity 
Natacha’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natachaatlas/
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

Living Simply to Create Freely

Yumi Ito’s parents, despite being musicians themselves, tried to dissuade her from following in their footsteps. She did it anyway—but in her own way, allowing her music to reflect her worldviews and Japanese-Polish heritage. 
We discussed: 
Yumi’s parents’ journey from Poland and Japan to Switzerland
How Yumi knew she should be a musician
Battling getting sucked into the capitalist system
Crossing socio economic divides in childhood
Why people assume music duos are romantic? 
Music as a way to connect beyond identities
Yumi’s Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/yumiitomusic/
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

The Perfect Mix: Music and Heritage

Mark de Clive-Lowe is a musician, DJ, and producer whose career spans multiple musical genres, from jazz to house. In recent years, he has drawn more deeply from his heritage, creating some of his most personal work yet. As his music began to reflect more of Japan's influence, a series of unexpected events led him to move to Tokyo.
We discussed: 
The decision to not take up a teaching position in the US and instead move to Japan 
Afrofuturism 
Mark’s relationship with his father 
Childhood in New Zealand
Heritage albums and how they were a departure from Mark’s previous work 
Mark’s ayahuasca experience 
Japan’s complicated citizenship laws 
US taxes
Mark’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markdeclivelowe/Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

Why Do So Many Chinese Musicians Have PhDs?

Caitlin Magee 凱琳 is a musician and radio host who grew up around the world, moving with her family to follow her father who was an Australian diplomat. She describes how her peripatetic life led to unexpectedly finding a home in Taiwan, where she sings in English and in Mandarin. We discussed:
Various challenges and opportunities stemming from growing up around the world
Adjusting to gender attitudes in Saudi Arabia
Becoming a Taiwanese citizen
The difference between studying music and making music
The complexities of singing in Mandarin
Creating music with thousands-of-years-old Chinese poems
Caitlin’s shift from jazz to R&B and pop 
Caitlin’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cait.magee/Caitlin’s radio show Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/cait.radio/Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

Jazzing Up Chopin

Marita Albán Juárez is a Peruvian-Polish jazz musician who became an expert on Chopin because of a misunderstanding. She thought her teacher’s suggestion to write a book proposal was a mandatory assignment, and ended up publishing a book on Chopin, making a documentary, and becoming an authority who is often asked to share her expertise in the media.  
We discussed:
Growing up in a musical family
Friends’ unexpected visits and the casual way people socialized in pre-internet days
The influence of visitors from Latin America on Marita’s childhood
Marita’s parents’ love story
The women who inspired Marita’s latest album
Attempts to change gender dynamics in Peru
Marita’s path to becoming an expert on Chopin
Talking to people in Japan about what Chopin means to them
Marita’s career as a TV host
Marita’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marita.quartet/
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

Cutting Through the Noise: Miki Berenyi Talks About Lush and Her Life

Miki Berenyi might be best known as the lead singer of Lush, a British rock band that rose to fame in the nineties and split up after the death of their drummer, Chris Acland. 
 
She grew up in London, a daughter of a Japanese actor and a Hungarian journalist. After her parents split up, she lived with her father and grandmother. She writes about her life and time with Lush in an excellent autobiography.
We discussed:
Self-harm, child abuse, and other difficult subjects that come up in Miki’s autobiography
Why “bad” things aren’t necessarily bad and the complexity of evil 
Being mixed in the 80s compared to now
The treatment of women in music 
Why groups of people often ostracize non-conformists
What is racism
How did music journalists cover Miki and her story 
Touring with Anthony Kiedis and Ice Cube in the 90s
How Miki feels when she goes to Japan 
Returning to music and performing
Miki’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berenyi_miki/
Miki’s autobiography: https://amzn.to/4hBeSkt
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i
 
 

Season One Wrap

Crosscontinentals is going on a summer break. The show will be back with season two: expect more great guests and more in-depth conversations about straddling multiple cultures. If you’d like to be notified when the second season starts, subscribe here, or follow on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

Bonus: Modeling, Rugby, and Addiction in Japan

Franciszek Ślusarczyk’s move to Tokyo at the age of seven marked the beginning of a turbulent period in his life, during which he worked as a fashion model, flunked out of schools, and developed a drug habit. He had difficulties growing up in a place where he felt different, and it took him years to find balance and stability. 
We discussed:
Moving to Japan because of dad’s modeling job 
Modeling in Japan 
Getting kicked out of school for smoking weed 
Abuse and rape at Franciszek’s rugby school 
Returning to Poland expecting improvement, but instead facing more problems
Working in subpar conditions in the Netherlands 
Life in a remote part of Iceland 
Meeting in Iceland someone who lived in Japan and had a story similar to Franciszek’s
 
Fransciszek’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/generator__42/
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i

Doppelganger DJs

Leo Yamane thought of himself as unique, but in his 20s, he came across someone who shared many of his rare traits. This meeting was the start of a DJ duo consisting of two Leos, both Japanese-Polish, both raised in Germany, and both playing house music. 
 
We discussed: 
Leo meeting Leo 
The discomfort around being marketed in Poland as “DJs from Tokyo” 
Cultural differences when DJing around the world
The reasons Leo didn’t become a full-time DJ
Crossing the border between Poland and Germany during the Soviet times
The synergies between Leo’s job and DJing
The lessons that Leo can pass on to his Dominican-German stepdaughter, and the things she teaches him. 
 
Leo’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leo.yamane/
Follow this show on Instagram: bit.ly/3NDZI0i