Bassnectar Quits Music Amidst Multiple Allegations Of Sexual Misconduct With Minors

Image: kylelf_ via Flickr

Dubstep drug rave DJ icon Bassnectar has announced he’s “stepping back from my career” after dozens of sexual misconduct allegations surfaced on social media over the weekend, each detailing the involvement of minors. Most of these many, many allegations have little corroboration. But one of them is excruciating and painfully detailed, complete with evidence and an apparent admission. People, this is difficult stuff to read should you choose to scroll onward. 

At least some of these allegations appear to be true, as Bassnectar announced he’s “stepping back from my career and I am stepping down from my position of power and privilege in this community. I want to take responsibility and accountability.” He added “the rumors you are hearing are untrue, but I realize some of my past actions have caused pain, and I am deeply sorry.”  

That statement does not specifically deny the most powerful and detailed allegation from an alleged victim who was 17 years old at the time, and who has incredibly specific receipts.

View this post on Instagram

ANON submission. Recorded evidence of Lorin Ashton admitting to a continued relationship w/ individual he met at 17yo and some problematic rhetoric about interracial relationships. EDIT: Of course this is a clip. We are respecting the privacy of the other person involved in the conversation.

A post shared by @ evidenceagainstbassnectar on Jun 30, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT

THE GROOMING OF A 17-YEAR-OLD VICTIM

All of these allegations are detailed on a 2-week old Instagram account called @evidenceagainstbassnectar. The most damning of these is apparently from February 2016, in which an older man “Lorin” (allegedly Bassnectar) is spelling out the groundrules for his relationship with a 17 year old.

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Conversation that happened between Lorin and a victim on 7/3/2020 (the same person who’s emails have been shared of her experience at 17 years old.) This conversation took place before his resignation today, that claimed, “the rumors you are hearing are untrue”.

A post shared by @ evidenceagainstbassnectar on Jul 3, 2020 at 7:39pm PDT

The second clip is far more specific and damaging. Four years later, the same Laurin acknowledges relations with a 17-year-old, and states that he realizes this constitutes statutory rape. But he then pressures her to stay quiet. “What happened with you is something I want to take accountability at any level with you,” he says. “If you think it’s worth me going to live forever in a Tennessee jail for me to be raped and beaten to death… That’s all I’m saying.”

We have no forensics proving that the man in those recordings is Bassnectar. But several artists who know him well seem convinced enough, and they’re all dropping  their associations with him. 

There are all manner of another allegations at the @evidenceagainstbassnectar Instagram page, again, none of them with corroborating evidence, but boy is there a pattern. And the tone of the apology indicates this is to some degree true, or he expects more to come out.

It is, frankly, a pretty decent apology on the #MeToo misbehavior continuum: He does not blame the victims, he says he’s sorry, he does not go on the attack against any accusers. But there is a great deal of pain out there if even a fraction of these allagations are true, and there may be additional reckoning and shoes to drop in  the EDM community.

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