Mr. C, the legendary member of The Shamen and much-loved DJ/producer/Superfreak proprietor, has announced the passing of label artist Laurent Blondeau (a.k.a. Lo). He was 47.
According to Mr. C, Blondeau, who lived in Calais, France, committed suicide on June 29. He leaves behind a wife and two children.
In a statement Mr. C said, “I had several extended conversations with Lo over these last couple of months and although he recognized he was going through some trials and tribulations, he was always positive, which makes his passing all the more shocking as it comes right out of the blue. I, like so many others, am truly heartbroken.”
Blondeau connected with Mr. C when he regularly DJ’ed at the now-defunct End club in London. He later went on to become a resident at Superfreq club nights. Blondeau started producing music in 2010 and developed a deep, techy and dark sound. He signed music to plethora of top labels, including Superfreq, Wiggle, VeryVeryWrongIndeed and Fabric.
On July 12 the label will host a tribute record sale day “in which all proceeds from all Superfreq sales will be donated to leading mental health charity, Mind. We will also be setting up a JustGiving page, holding an auction and memorial event, details of which will be released in due course.”
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, do not leave the person alone. Remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt. In the U.S., contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.