Half Japanese Co-Founder David Fair Dies

David Fair, co-founder of the American experimental rock band Half Japanese, has died. The news was announced Sunday morning separately by Thick Syrup Records — the label he ran in the late 2000s — and by longtime friend and documentary filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig, according to a Stereogum report published August 31. A cause of death has not been made public.

How the news broke

Thick Syrup Records and Jeff Feuerzeig were the first two sources to post tributes on social media. Feuerzeig directed the 1993 documentary Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King, which chronicled the Fair brothers and their band.

David's brother and Half Japanese co-founder Jad Fair posted a childhood photo of the two of them on Facebook, where fans and friends have been leaving messages of condolence in the comments.

Half Japanese and the Fair brothers

Half Japanese was formed by David and Jad Fair in the mid-1970s. The band became one of the longest-running and most influential acts in American experimental rock and underground music circles.

Beyond the band, David ran the label Thick Syrup Records in the late 2000s — the same outlet that helped announce his death.