Interpol frontman Paul Banks has written a touching tribute to the late School Of Seven Bells frontman Benjamin Curtis, who lost his battle with cancer last month (Dec13).

The influential guitarist had been diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma 11 months before he passed away on 29 December (13), aged 35, and now his pal Banks has remembered him in an article for Britain's NME magazine.

In the piece, Banks hails his friend as a major talent, writing, "Benjamin was gentle and soft spoken and yet he always seemed to be alight. There was a fire inside him that came through as a powerful charisma on or offstage. He was special. I used to refer to him as 'Mr Mojo', to portray what I felt was his indelible magnetism...

"(He leaves) an incredible legacy. He will always be an inspiration for me and anyone else who was blessed to spend time with him, see him perform, or hear his music. In all of his endeavours he brought a signature presence - style, poise and fury."

Banks was among the musicians who rallied behind Curtis after news of his cancer fight became public early last year (13) and helped to raise funds to cover the cost of his medical treatment. Devendra Banhart and The Strokes' Albert Hammond, Jr. also did their part for the campaign.