Sexual assault allegations, leaked screenshots, suspended artists and festival cancellations: within days, Europe’s hard techno elite has been thrust into a reckoning.
What many in the scene are now referring to as the 'Techno Files' has placed several headline DJs formerly linked to French artist management and booking agency Steer Management at the centre of the storm, alongside a whistleblower who says the culture of silence is over.
The names involved sit at the very summit of hard techno: French figurehead Shlømo, Basswell, Franco-American DJ Fantasm, Carv and Brussels-based Odymel.
The allegations surfaced through an Instagram account run by a former employee of Steer Management, who shared screenshots of private conversations and testimonies. What began as social media posts quickly escalated into a structural crisis for the scene.
'The dance floor is our home'
From Antwerp, Belgian global superstar DJ Amelie Lens delivered one of the most widely shared responses on Instagram.
"The dancefloor is our home and the backstage is our workplace, but neither feels safe for us," she wrote, arguing that safety has long been treated as a women’s burden.
"This conversation is not an attack on men as a whole. It is about accountability," she added, challenging the culture of silence that protects harmful behaviour.
Lens also revealed she once went to the police with hundreds of threatening messages detailing plans to kidnap and rape her, only to be told they "couldn’t do anything". If evidence in hand is not enough, she asked, how can women feel safe in clubs where abuse is often invisible?
Sexual 'sleepwalking'
Brussels-based Swiss DJ Odymel addressed an accusation stemming from an incident he says occurred while he was asleep. According to his account, a former partner reported behavior consistent with a sexual sleepwalking episode, often referred to as sexsomnia, of which he says he has "absolutely no memory".
"I fully understand how difficult it is to believe in my own account," he wrote, confirming that a preliminary investigation is ongoing and that he underwent medical examinations voluntarily. He expressed regret for the traumatic impact described and said he would take time away from the spotlight.
Swiss DJ Odymel. Credit: Instagram/Odymel_
'We have decided to suspend our collaborations'
In a public statement, Steer Management said the accusations were being treated "with the utmost seriousness."
Citing "absolute respect, integrity, responsibility," the agency confirmed it had suspended collaborations with the artists involved, while emphasising that serious matters must be examined within a proper legal framework.
The agency also expressed solidarity with those who speak out, stating: "We believe you, we listen, and we act."
'That doesn’t make it right'
German DJ Carv acknowledged engaging in explicit private conversations and sending intimate images with several women.
"There was no non-consensual behaviour and no criminal wrongdoing. But that doesn’t make it right," he wrote, admitting he had betrayed his wife and would step away from social media to reflect and take responsibility in his personal life.
German DJ Carv. Credit: Instagram/Its_carv
'Sustained defamation and harassment campaign'
For his part, Electro French DJ Shlømo described the accusations against him as a "sustained defamation and harassment campaign."
He stated: "I have never had a non-consensual relationship. I have never committed sexual abuse," and announced he was filing legal complaints for defamation, harassment and attempted extortion.
He argued that certain materials circulating online were fabricated, while maintaining that freedom of speech must protect genuine victims, not be weaponised for revenge.
French hard techno DJ Shlømo. Credit: Instagram/Shlomo_taapion
Festivals react
Promoters and festivals moved swiftly. The Hangar collective in Brussels cancelled Odymel’s scheduled show, while Belgian Dour Festival announced it had removed the artists in question "as a precautionary measure," reaffirming its commitment to being "a space of respect, freedom, and inclusion".
Artist pages quietly disappeared from line-ups, signalling how seriously institutions are treating the reputational and ethical stakes.
'Accountability is long overdue'
The former Steer employee behind the disclosures says he did not set out to become a public figure. "I’m not a hero. I’m not an investigator," he wrote on Instagram, explaining that after he posted, he received "hundreds of messages" and consistent testimonies revealing broader patterns.
"Accountability in this scene is long overdue," he stated, arguing that the discomfort now felt by powerful structures proves the necessity of the conversation.
Alongside the turmoil, the collective MeTooDJs announced it is building a confidential support network of psychologists, legal experts and journalists to guide victims safely and discreetly.
