Hard techno artists formerly signed to STEƎR Management are addressing accusations of sexual misconduct leveled against them on social media.
Following a tumultuous several days in which at least six artists were cut from the STEƎR Management roster and eight others left of their own volition, former signees have begun to address the sexual misconduct allegations facing them.
CARV, a masked German DJ whose name came up amid the controversy, admitted fault in an Instagram post. “I want to be honest about what happened,” he wrote. “I had private chat conversations with several women. Those conversations became explicit, and I sent intimate images of myself. I want to clearly state that there was no non-consensual behavior and no criminal wrongdoing. But that doesn’t make it right. I was married at the time.”
The artist behind CARV, whose first name is Fritz, also wiped his Instagram account and told German publication watson that no longer plans to perform under the moniker. “The CARV DJ project ends here,” he said.
HADES opted for a different approach, delivered his statement in the form of a breaking news report from an imaginary outlet called Htv. “All jokes aside, this topic is a real topic with real victims,” the Dutch DJ said, dismissing the allegations involving him as “cancel culture without evidence.”
Commenters on the Instagram post have criticized HADES for responding to claims of sexual misconduct with humor. “It is abundantly clear how little respect you have for victims no matter how many times your mouth says ‘respect for victims,’” wrote Swedish artist SPFDJ.
Meanwhile, French artist Fantasm has called out bradnolimit, who originally posted several of the apparent screen shots, in his own video statement while denying any wrongdoing. “Who is starting all of this?” he asked. “We have this guy named Brad who recently got kicked out of an agency called STEƎR, a huge agency that had many, many artists. He was aware of the current situation but didn’t talk before, and also has allegations against him from several women.”
In response, bradnolimit issued a statement. “I didn’t ‘sit on’ evidence for years, I didn’t have evidence,” he wrote. “What happened is simple: when I became the target of a smear campaign on their side, I reacted. I spoke out. At first, it came from anger. I won’t deny that. What I didn’t expect was what followed. Within days, I received hundreds of messages. Screenshots. Conversations. Detailed testimonies. Patterns.”
He continued: “It became clear very quickly that this wasn’t gossip, people had been waiting for a moment to speak. I didn’t create that need. It was already there.”
The list of artists who were dropped from STEƎR over allegations of various forms of sexual misconduct also includes Shlømo, Odymel, and Basswell. The former two DJs previously addressed the accusations, with Shlømo asserting that he’s fallen victim to “a campaign of slander and defamation,” and Odymel admitting that he’s currently in court for allegedly making unwanted advances toward a sexual partner in a state of somnambulism.
Meanwhile, William Luck, LESSSS, 6EJOU, ECZODIA, Onlynumbers, Creeds, and Natte Visstick all left the label, each posting a statement denouncing the alleged acts of their former labelmates. Event brands like the Netherlands’ Verknipt, Germany’s Open Beatz Festival, Brazil’s Under Division, and Australia’s Pitch Music & Arts have also removed former STEƎR artists facing allegations from their lineups.
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual abuse at a festival or anywhere else, here are some resources for support:
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline to offer support to victims and their families. Their services are free and confidential: 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673) (Available 24 hours a day by phone and by online chat.)
Relief After Violent Encounter (RAVE) is an organization that can help you find counseling and therapy after a violent encounter. RAVE also has a domestic and sexual violence Emergency Response Team which is deployed through law enforcement to provide emergency crisis intervention to victims immediately after an assault.