DJ Netgate sparks backlash after bootlegging ANOTR track

What started as a casual jam session turned into a full-blown DJ discourse.

Little-known DJ Netgate pulled a leaked rip of an unreleased ANOTR record that had been circulating online, extracted the “stems,” and built a rough remix for fun, simply for the love of the game. According to Netgate, he had no intention of posting the full edit before the official drop, just a clip of himself vibing to it, having fun, being silly, enjoying the song. But once that clip hit socials, things got messy.

ANOTR jumped in directly and commented: “people using rips 👎👎.” Another popular DJ KETTAMA followed the harang, writing, “you have no respect for the artist… doesn’t give you the right to steal peoples chords and vocals and release a version… before it’s even out.” DJ Chris Stussy doubled down: “100% wrong… It’s their original work which is not even out yet, got to have some respect for their craft.”

The peanut gallery on TikTok was ruthless. “You’re in the wrong, not cool,” commented one user. “It’s not grey. You’re using their music that’s unreleased to promote yourself. You are 100% wrong.” Others were harsher: “Ripping unreleased unauthorised music made by DJs 1000x better than you is [explicative]pathetic… have some respect.” Another DM read, “All that for some [explicative] remix that no one would ever listen to… you’re everything that’s wrong with the scene.” Comments like “classless yank” and “Unfortunately, the stuss is always right” stacked up by the dozens if not hundreds.

In a follow-up video, Netgate addressed the backlash head-on. Overlaying Stussy’s comment, he argued the criticism could have been a private DM and hinted at a broader message, per his all-caps caption “@ALL BIG ARTISTS.” He insisted he has “never once released unreleased or leaked music” on Patreon and that the remix “isn’t on there and wouldn’t be until it’s released by ANOTR.” He framed the fan hate as excessive, pointing to abusive messages as proof the reaction went too far.

Still, the core issue remains unchanged: unreleased music, public remix, public reaction, slanderous behavior, and career consequences. In electronic culture, bootlegs are tradition. But unreleased records? For many, that’s sacrilegious, and for good reason. It’s illegal and markedly hurts the industry, violates honor codes amongst artists, and plagiarizes original work.

About The Author

Saracha

Heralding from sunny South Florida, I am a proud Florida Woman. In my free time, I surf the swamp, wrangle gators, open fan mail, and tend to my pets. In the wild, I’m most often spotted at immersive art spaces, step tappin’ in a shadowed corner of the club, hater blockerz on, totally incognito as your resident EDM spice girl. Although I generally tout my spicy side, if there’s one thing I’d love to impress upon the world, it would be this: it’s not a waste to give love to those who do not deserve it – it’s a gift. The world would be a better place if we gave, in kindness and in mercy, to those who need it most with no expectation in return.

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