Chris Faiumu, founder of Fat Freddy's Drop, has died.

Fat Freddy's Drop announced the "unexpected death" of their founding member Chris Faiumu, at the age of 52. The news, they wrote on their social media, was received last Wednesday as "a seismic shift in our world," without disclosing the cause.

Better known as Mu and DJ Fitchie, the New Zealand band said goodbye to a “talismanic figure, master producer, DJ and brother, Chris Ta'aloga Faiumu”.

One of New Zealand's most popular musical icons, Fat Freddy's Drop formed in 1999, emerging from the already established career of Faiumu, who launched into live instrumental and vocal experimentation, in the style of a jam band. Mu had met Dallas Tamaira, the group's lead singer and songwriter, when he worked as a sound engineer on the tour of the Pacific Underground, a theatrical production featuring Dallas in the lead role.

Exporting their blend of dub, reggae, soul, and rhythm and blues worldwide, they also raised the bar domestically with their debut studio album in 2005, which quickly became the third best-selling album by a New Zealand artist. With over 100,000 copies sold, they also secured a spot in the top 40 within two years. Two years earlier, they had already raised their flag in Europe, where they would perform virtually every year, with the single "Midnight Marauders."

Born and raised in the Wellington suburb of Wainuiomata, Faiumu was the fifth child of Samoan immigrant parents. While still a young boy, while attending Scots College, he earned the nickname "Mu," a shortened form of his surname that would eventually stick.

Fat Freddy's Drop performed for the last time in Portugal on July 30, 2024, at Hipódromo Manuel Possolo, in Cascais, as part of the Ageas Cooljazz festival, and as part of the band's 25th anniversary celebrations.