Stereolab's Mary Hansen Dead at 36
Ryan Schreiber reports: Mary Hansen, singer and guitarist for the
experimental pop group Stereolab, died on Monday after being struck by a
car while riding her bicycle in London. Martin Pike, co-owner of
Stereolab's Duophonic Super 45's imprint with Tim Gane and Laetitia
Sadier, was extremely saddened by the loss when we spoke with him via
telephone this morning. "It's incredibly tragic," said Pike. "We're all
going to miss her. It's just a bit too soon. Even though it happened on
Monday, all of us only [recently] found out. We're all still very numbed
by it all." The band's official statement reads: "The suddenness of her
death has shocked the band. Mary was a special person. Our thoughts are
with her family and friends who will miss her greatly."
Hansen, originally from near Brisbane, Australia, joined Stereolab in 1992
after the release of Peng!. She also contributed vocals to bands such as
Moonshake and The Wolfhounds, and made appearances on releases by Mouse on
Mars, Brokeback, and the High Llamas, whose Sean O'Hagan has been
responsible for brass and string arrangements on many a Stereolab LP. Mary
Hansen was 36.
