Glitch Festival drops artist over sexual misconduct allegations

The Glitch Festival has cancelled the performance of a DJ set to appear this year over sexual misconduct allegations the artist has since claimed took place while he was sleepwalking.

The popular electronic music festival due to be held in Malta this summer, said Swiss-born hard techno artist Antoine Lauffer, who performs under the stage name Odymel, “will no longer be performing at Glitch Festival 2026” after it became aware of the allegations.

The claims surfaced last week, when an Instagram account with the handle ‘bradnolimit’, believed to be a former associate of Lauffer’s management company, alleged that the Belgium-based artist had “tried to pay the silence of the girl he assaulted” (sic).

The allegation was among several accusations levelled at multiple artists until recently represented by talent agency STEƎR Management, including Lauffer. A separate artist was accused of the “grooming of 16-year-old Colombian girls” (sic).

Glitch announced the cancellation on social media. Screenshot: Glitch Festival/Instagram.

The management company dropped the artists on Friday, two days after the allegations emerged. The day before, it said it was undertaking a “thorough review of the elements presented”. Its roster of artists is no longer available, and its recent social media posts have been removed.

The festival said it was working to secure a replacement artist and would provide updates in due course.

'Sleepwalking'

Responding to the accusations on social media, Lauffer claimed the alleged incident, which he said was the only one he had been accused of, had taken place while he was asleep.

Claiming he was in a state of somnambulism, commonly referred to as sleepwalking, the producer said the incident occurred while in bed with a woman following a “consensual encounter” between the pair.

“According to what she later told me, I began to make involuntary sexual gestures to myself first, before trying to initiate another sexual encounter with her, which was undesired,” he wrote online.

“I stopped immediately when she verbally told me to stop,” he said, while claiming he had “no memory whatsoever of it” and was relying on the woman’s version of events.

Lauffer said he had since undertaken psychological therapy at the woman’s request, with a report from the psychologist sent to the alleged victim after around 15 sessions, and that a “preliminary investigation” was underway.

“I fully understand how difficult it is to believe in my own account for such a serious act. I understand that ‘blaming sleepwalking’ may seem like an easy way out... I myself would have been very sceptical of such an explanation”, he said.

He said it was “precisely for this reason” that he had agreed to medical examinations and was “cooperating fully” with the investigation, adding he was “deeply aware of the traumatic impact of that night and I am truly sorry”.

Lauffer's statement did not address accusations of payments made in connection with the allegations.

The allegations have rocked the hard techno scene and have been covered by various industry outlets. News portal EDM [electronic dance music] Identity said at least six artists had publicly terminated their relationship with STEƎR Management following the allegations.