Wave of sexual misconduct allegations sees multiple hard techno DJs removed from festival and club line-ups

This article was originally published by Mixmag Global, you can read it here.

Content Warning: This article includes accounts of sexual assault and may be distressing for some readers.

Multiple prominent hard techno DJs have been pulled from forthcoming club and festival programmes following accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse.

Allegations involving artists including French techno DJs Shlømo and Odymel, alongside German DJ CARV, surfaced after a series of Instagram posts from user bradnolimit, detailing claims ranging from rape and sexual harassment to coercion and other forms of abuse.

A number of festivals and promoters have since removed the artists from their bills, including HIVE Festival, Pitch Music & Arts, Face2Face, XXL, Digi Festival, Verknipt, REBELS Mexico, Neolitika, Sea You Festival and GLITCH Festival.

In his posts, bradnolimit states that he previously worked with French talent agency Steer Management, which represented each of the DJs named at the time the initial allegations emerged, and that he parted ways with the company in August 2025.

On Thursday (February 19), Steer Management issued a statement pledging a "thorough review" of the allegations concerning Shlømo, Odymel and CARV, followed by a further statement the next day confirming it had ceased working with the accused DJs ("we have decided to suspend our collaborations with the artists involved").

According to Change Underground, artists on Steer’s roster, including William Luck, Onlynumbers, 6ejou, Natte Visstick and Lola Cerise, have also announced they will no longer collaborate with the management company.

Shlømo has denied the accusations, describing them as "slander" via an Instagram story posted on Saturday (February 21), while CARV shared a statement on Instagram on Tuesday (February 24) acknowledging that he had been "unfaithful" to his partner by sending explicit messages and images to several women, but rejecting any criminal wrongdoing.

Odymel has also issued a statement, writing that he had been informed by a "person he had consensual relations with" of an incident he claims took place while he was asleep, and which he says he has no memory of. "This incident is the only one I've ever been accused of. I found out about what happened several days later, when she told me what happened," he wrote.

bradnolimit has since levelled further accusations against Fantasm and Basswell, with Fantasm responding by posting a filmed statement on Instagram today (February 25) denying the claims and asserting that bradnolimit had been "kicked out" of Steer Management and has also been accused of sexual misconduct by several women.

Since then, dozens of artists across the hard techno scene have released statements backing the alleged victims of sexual assault, in what social media users have described as "hard techno's #MeToo".

In an Instagram post shared on Thursday (February 26), Nicole Moudaber said: "Women were told to endure. We chose to build. We were told to stay quiet. We chose to lead. No industry is worth our dignity. Respect is not a favor. Safety is not optional. The solution is: accountability, transparent systems, real consequences, allies who speak up, not just stand by. I give my voice, my platform, and my full support to this movement. I will continue to demand change and work toward spaces where safety and equality are the standard, not the exception. To every woman speaking out and to those still finding their voice...you are not alone! We are not asking for space anymore. We are shaping it. This is not a moment. It’s a shift."

Amelie Lens shared an extensive statement on February 25, outlining the misogyny she has encountered as a high-profile female DJ, writing: "I once went to the police with hundreds of messages from a person detailing exactly how he would kidnap and r*pe me."

"He took a plane to Antwerp and found me, luckily my team was with me the moment he approached me. I went to the police with every receipt and they barely looked at them," she continues.

"I am not ready to share my personal experiences and I shouldn't have to. I shouldn't have to relive my trauma just so you'll finally tell your 'bro' to stop. Just make them stop. Help us break the cycle, stop automatically protecting your bros and ask yourself, why are there accusations in the first place? The truth isn't defamation, it is a reckoning."

In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday (February 24), sim0ne praised "the way the community has come together" amid the allegations, pledging to speak with agents and promoters about safety in green rooms.

Sara Landry shared a statement on February 25 condemning "any and all forms of abuse, assault, and predatory behavior" and stating that "my team and I have been focused on taking real, tangible steps to support and uphold the values of this community."

Earlier, Hannah Laing published an open letter via Instagram stories, urging promoters to commit to removing the accused artists from line-ups, to clearly communicate survivor-centred internal procedures for reporting sexual abuse, and to require staff to undertake consent and bystander training.

Manchester-based hard techno promoter XXL also released a statement via Instagram stories, noting that "While it is not in a position to comment on specific allegations," it has "already removed artists from upcoming shows and will continue to monitor the situation".

VTSS, who had been scheduled to perform B2B with Odymel at GLITCH Festival in August, wrote on X: "Btw I'm OBVIOUSLY cancelling my B2B with Odymel at Glitch, just waiting to hear from the promoter about a solution." GLITCH later confirmed via Instagram that Odymel had been removed from its line-up.

Chippy Nonstop, blk., Joyhauser, Cera Khin, Ashtrl and SPFDJ have since voiced support for the victims across social media, calling for accountability from promoters and men within the music industry, with SPFDJ sharing a post captioned: "Think you’re one of ”the good guys”? Prove it."

Campaign group METOODJS is urging victims of sexual assault to submit testimonies via an online form, with hopes of calling on set up with the aim provide a "trusted network to support victims of sexist and sexual violence within electronic music scenes."

In a statement shared with Mixmag, MEETOODJS said they have been contacted "by nearly 100 victims from numerous countries" since launching, with reports concerning "situations that occurred in various contexts related to electronic music: clubs, festivals, collectives, agencies, labels, and professional or private environments."

"Several legal proceedings are currently underway with specialized lawyers. Victims have been connected with psychologists and professionals trained in sexist and sexual violence (SSV)," their statement continues.

Mixmag Global has contacted representatives of Shlømo, Odymel, CARV, Basswell and Fantasm for comment.