Bassnectar Wipes Instagram and Uploads New Music to Official Mixcloud Profile

Once revered electronic DJ and producer, Bassnectar has essentially confirmed rumors of his comeback to the EDM scene by sharing a brand new mix with fans.

Despite the active lawsuit against the artist and nearly three years of silence, Bassnectar quietly uploaded a new DJ mix to Mixcloud on Tuesday evening. Around the same time, he also wiped his social profiles, including his response to the sexual misconduct allegations made against him in 2020. The 33-minute-long mix is titled “Music for Optimists – Mixtape #29” and can be heard on his official Mixcloud profile. 

This news comes off the tail end of some other big news: rumors of an album release on Valentine’s Day, 2023. According to the Reddit page r/bassnectar, the news of a new album, “The Golden Rule,” leaked from a private Discord channel of Bassnectar fans. Along with this was a new website, unlocktheotherside.com, which turned out to be password protected but included the copy, “the new home for the Bassnectar universe & beyond.” Reddit discussion alludes to a paid membership to the site, promising member-only access to event tickets, music, and more.

In July 2020, Bassnectar made what appeared to be his final bid to fans as he pulled back from the music scene after being accused of sexual misconduct. He addressed the claims, canceled any upcoming events, and withdrew from social media. 

Although Bassnectar denied participating in sexual misconduct, he wished to take accountability for the harm he caused. In his statement, he said, “I have learned to recognize that just because I have never intentionally harmed a woman, there are ways that I could cause unintentional harm and want to take responsibility for that.”

The news of a civil suit against Lorin Ashton, a.k.a. Bassnectar, emerged in April 2021 for the alleged sexual misconduct. Then around a year later, in early 2022, the case began the discovery process. The plaintiffs, Bassnectar’s alleged victims, brought forth violations such as “Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography” and “Aggravated Statutory Rape,” according to court documents. 

Bassnectar’s defense responded that the accusations were false, claiming, “The plaintiffs are merely former romantic partners of Mr. Ashton who, in the era of the #MeToo movement, are jumping on the cancel culture bandwagon in an attempt to profit from the pressure they hoped this litigation would bring.” The trial is currently still pending.