‘Senseless tragedy’ warning to drivers
Songstress and philosopher plays other people’s music on her big night. and report.
night. She offered a set that perhaps only a true music aficionado could fully appreciate, featuring the likes of US bass player Stephen Bruner, better known by his stage name Thundercat.
‘‘Thundercat was a big influence on the album,’’ Kimbra said, calling Bruner the ‘‘most amazing bassist’’.
But the 24-year-old Hamiltonborn singer is also developing a reputation as an armchair philosopher. In an interview for the New York
blog, she commented: ‘‘There’s a rousing frequency in the universe that could be divine, or primal, or human, but it’s a sound that calls you outward to where you feel unbound by time and space.’’
She shot to international fame via a Grammy-winning collaboration with Australian singer Gotye on Somebody That I Used to Know.
The attention made her feel ‘‘chaotic and trapped’’, so in good Waikato style she managed to find a sheep farm, in Los Angeles of all places, and lives there.
‘‘I wake up to a rooster and a baby lamb every day,’’ she says. ‘‘I’m embracing the idea of how the mundane can transform into the surreal.’’
Of her album, she said: ‘‘It’s so rewarding to hear that people are connecting with the music.’’
Inevitably, she finds herself compared with New Zealand’s other big music success of the moment, Lorde. She is unfussed by it. ‘‘Being a small country it’s human nature. We just go with it.’’
Alongside Kimbra last night was another unlikely DJ, shoe designer Kathyrn Wilson, who said: ‘‘I’m a big fan of Kimbra and was easily convinced to be part of her album release celebrations in New Zealand. In 2011, Kimbra and her band performed at our NZ Fashion Week catwalk show, which was a great success and a highlight of the week. I have followed her career closely and have a lot of respect for her music and her talent. I have never DJd before but create catwalk playlists for all Kathryn Wilson Footwear shows throughout the year so I’m often challenging DJs with layering and mixing tracks that don’t traditionally go together easily.’’
Golden Echo, released on Friday, is the first album of new material from Kimbra since her 2011 debut Vows, which peaked at No 14 in the US charts. POLICE LAST night spoke out about motorists trying to evade pursuing officers following a ‘‘senseless tragedy’’ which cost a young man his life.
A 28-year-old man died, and two other men were hospitalised – including one with life-threatening injuries – following a crash in South Auckland on Friday night.
Police said the dead man was a passenger in a car that was ‘‘highlighted’’ to them during an ‘‘automatic number plate recognition’’ operation in Puhinui Rd, Manukau.
Police say they signalled for the car to pull over, but it sped away towards Otara and was found shortly afterwards in nearby Boundary Rd, where it had crashed into another car.
Two men – the driver and sole passenger – were trapped in the vehicle which police said had earlier refused to stop, adding that it had flipped after the collision with a passing car.
A police statement issued yesterday described the incident as a ‘‘senseless tragedy’’.
Superintendent John Timms, of Counties Manukau Police, added it could have been prevented had the driver of the car stopped when signalled to do so.
‘‘What we have now is one family coming to grips with the loss of
What we have now is one family coming to grips with the loss of a loved one and another sitting bedside in the hope their loved one will recover from critical injuries. Superintendant John Timms
a loved one and another sitting bedside in the hope their loved one will recover from critical injuries,’’ Timms said.
Two separate investigations and a review have now been launched.
‘‘As matter of course, the matter has been referred to the IPCA [ Independent Police Conduct Authority],’’ Timms said.
‘‘A criminal investigation which will be overseen by an independent police investigator has been commenced.’’
The wreckage was overnight Friday.
Yesterday all that remained at the site were paint marks indicating the locations of both vehicles involved and ruts in a grass verge showing the resting place of one of the vehicles.
taken
away