Matthew Salapu-Faiumu
Matthew Salapu-Faiumu, aka Anonymouz, is a composer and sound/music/video producer of Samoan descent, based in Onehunga, New Zealand. Matthew-Salapu under the name Anonymouz has been a pioneering figure within the Pacific NZ music industry for over 15 years. Within the New Zealand and Pacific music industry, he was a founding member of the Pacific Music Awards and won a Phillip Fuemana Award, Most Promising Artist in 2008. He was appointed by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra to be the Music Director for their APO Remix the Orchestra programme. The show received an International Music Council Musical Rights Award from the United Nations. He was commissioned by NZ Pacific Radio stations Radio 531 PI & NIU FM to create their new imaging music which still plays every four minutes to the present day. He was a part of the Aotearoa delegation that attended the Festival of Pacific Arts in Guåhan, Guam. There he presented his 20-minute soundscape work Resample: Guahan to much praise.
Anonymouz has continued to have his work commissioned by prominent artists and art companies over his career. These include, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland Theatre Company, Black Grace, Auckland Transport, Auckland Council, Royal NZ Ballet and Massey University.
Anonymouz is currently co-director of his arts production company 37hz Productions. He shares the running of the company with his wife and managing director Noma Sio-Faiumu since 2017.
Awards, residencies and notable achievements
- Founding Member of the Pacific Music Awards
- Recipient of the Phillip Fuemana Award, Most Promising Artist at the Pacific Music Awards
- One of six of Prime Minister John Key's NZ Artist delegation where they took a trip to Samoa for the 50th anniversary of independence celebrations
- Music Director of APO: Remix the Orchestra the year the show received an International Music Council Musical Rights Award from the UN
- Recipient of the Emerging Pacific Artist Award at Creative NZ Arts Pasifika Awards
- Nominated for the Best Producer Award at the Pacific Music Awards
- Recipient funding for Music Development from NZ on Air
- Won Sound Designer of the Year at the Wellington Theatre Awards for his work on UPU
- Recipient of a Massey University ''Toi Rauwharangi Pacific Arts Residency''
Work catalogue
| Year | Artist / company | Title | Work |
| 2012 | Anonymouz | Return to Hawaiki | Soundscape |
| 2014 | Pacific Media Network - 531PI & NIU FM | n/a | Composed and Produced the 90 second imaging music still in use to this present day. |
| 2014 | Anonymouz | RESAMPLE: SOUTH AUCKLAND | Soundscape |
| 2015 | Te Oro Community | n/a | Permanent public soundscapes installation |
| 2015 | Favona Primary School | Jonah Lomu Tribute | Sound Production for a group of Favona Primary School students tribute to Jonah Lomu |
| 2016 | Festival of Pacific Arts 2016 - Aotearoa Delegation | RESAMPLE: GUAHAN | Soundscape |
| 2017 | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency - Innovation Hub | Te Aramua Future Streets | Award Winner Video sound composition |
| 2018 | Black Grace Dance Company & Anonymouz | Under the Au | Creative Director / Music and Visual Producer collaborating with four Black Grace dancers, Isitolo Alesana, SNARE and Dok2. |
| 2019 | Jeremy Leatinu'u | When the Moon sees the Sun | Composer. The piece was presented at the 2019 Honolulu Biennial. |
| 2020 | New Zealand Government | Covid-19 Updates: Pacific Language Translation | Anonymouz alongside Areta Tanoa'i were commissioned by the Ministry of Health to translate the COVID-19 updates into 9 Pacific languages |
| 2021 | New Zealand Government | NZ Government Official Dawn Raid Apology | Produced the opening sound design for the event |
| 2021 | 37 Hz Productions - Anonymouz | RESAMPLE: TATAU | Soundscape |
| 2022 | Ministry for Pacific Peoples | Dawn Raids Apology Commemoration at Ngati Whatua Orakei Marae | Commemorating his contributions to the event |
| 2023 | COP 28 Conference Pasifika Voices 23' | They Taking Pictures of us in the Water | Creative Director, Music Producer, Music Mixer, Videographer and Editor in collaboration with Audrey Brown Pereira |
| Year | Company / organisation / institution | Work |
| 2010 - 2016 | Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra | Multiple roles including: Music Director, Mentor, Composer for APO: Remix the Orchestra over his involvement with the programme |
| 2012 | Auckland Museum | IamGI project - In response to the Auckland Macro Report Anonymouz mentors six groups of youth on how to make a soundscape in relation to their home of Glen Innes. |
| 2015 | Vodaphone Events Centre Schools Programme | Mentoring Onehunga High School students on music composition as a part of The Moovit Dance Project |
| 2016 | Vodaphone Events Centre Schools Programme | Mentoring Onehunga High School students on music composition as a part of The Moovit Dance Project |
| 2018 | Haeata School | Mentoring students in music production |
| 2019 | TAUTAI Fresh Horizons Music Production Workshop | Mentoring high school students around Wellington on sound production and music mixing and documenting for TAUTAI |
| 2019 | TAUTAI Pacific Arts Trust | First Fridays Creative Presentation |
| 2020 | Te Kura Toi Whakaari o Aotearoa: NZ Drama School | Mentoring the graduating third year students in sound production and music mixing to create their own works |
| 2022 | Impact Hub Waikato | Youth Music Workshop |
| 2023 | Impact Hub Waikato | Youth Music Workshop. Led the creation of a music video for the song He Kakano Ahau. The programme was very successful and saw a 12% increase in participants' well-being across the youth groups. |
| Year | Event |
| 2017 | Guest Judge for the Rep Fm & AYEBRO collaboration event ' |
| 2022 | AMPS South Auckland |
| 2023 | The Pasifika Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talanoa run by the University of Auckland Business School's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
| 2023 | Toipoto Creative Careers Programme |