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System of a Down singer fails to buy NZ beach property

The singer of American band System of a Down has failed in his bid to buy a west coast beach property and develop a recording studio.

Tuesday, July 12th 2005

Serj Tankian planned to pay $890,000 for the 13.6ha property at Bethells Beach but his application was refused by the Overseas Investment Commission.

The metal band played at New Zealand's Big Day Out in 2002 and their latest album, Mesmerize, entered the charts at number one here last month.

The Kokako Rd property is mostly bush covered but has an existing home where Tankian proposed to incorporate an acoustic recording studio. He would have lived in New Zealand "in the medium term", according to a proposal to the commission.

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