METOODJS launches French nonprofit, fundraising for abuse victims in electronic music

METOODJS turned a fast-moving support network into something more durable: an officially recognized French nonprofit with a fundraising drive built to pay for legal and therapeutic help, not just raise awareness. The group said it had already gathered more than 300 testimonies from people in the electronic music scene, a sign that the demand is far larger than a one-off response to a few headlines.

The organization began in February after allegations of sexual misconduct involving several European hard techno DJs surfaced publicly. Since then, METOODJS has said it has helped connect victims to legal, journalistic and mental health support, and that it now includes a lawyer and a psychologist inside the group. It says the team is made up of music-industry professionals with more than a decade of experience and is overwhelmingly women-led, with around 97% of members being women. That matters because this is not being framed as a symbolic campaign. It is being built as a support system with actual expertise attached to it.

The fundraising push is being run through GoFundMe with a goal of €75,000. In the first week, it brought in €7,000. The money is earmarked for legal and therapeutic aid, educational workshops, safe-space facilitation, resource guidelines and reimbursements for urgent costs the team has already fronted for victims. METOODJS also said it works with a wider network of legal experts, therapists, journalists and trusted industry contacts, which gives the group a reach that goes beyond a standard donation drive.

The timing lines up with the fallout from February’s allegations, which triggered removals from several hard techno lineups. Shlømo, Carv, Basswell and Odymel were pulled from events, while brands including Verknipt, World Club Dome, Open Beatz, Airbeat One, Teletech and Doof Music said they removed multiple artists from forthcoming bills. Subvolt canceled a Shlømo show on February 21, Das Zimmer Mannheim canceled Carv on February 23, Respira Festival removed Shlømo and Basswell, and Glitch festival dropped Odymel on February 24.

For a scene that still struggles to handle abuse in a consistent way, the shift toward formal infrastructure is the real story here. Resident Advisor’s 2023 survey of 143 people across 28 countries found that almost half of reported incidents happened at club nights, concerts or festivals, and 85% of respondents did not report what happened at the time. METOODJS is betting that a nonprofit structure, with money, legal backing and mental health support, can close part of that gap and make the electronic music world harder to ignore.