Après un an et demi de silence, le producteur Datsik a publié le 5 novembre une vidéo sur Facebook suite aux accusations par plusieurs femmes de viol et d’agression sexuelle en mars 2018. Il avait alors perdu son manager, son agence et même son propre label dans cette affaire. Depuis lors, tous ses réseaux sociaux étaient soit en privés, soit silencieux. Le producteur reconnaît des problèmes de santé mentale et de dépendance, mais ne s’excuse jamais auprès de ceux qui l’ont accusé de ces actes et attribue ça au stress de la tournée, amplifiant son anxiété et sa dépression existantes avant ses actions.
La pente était très glissante là-haut et je m’en rend compte maintenant lorsque je repense à tout ça. Je m’excuse pour mon mauvais comportement et le style de vie imprudent qui a fini par avoir un effet néfaste sur mes relations. C’est un style de vie que je ne pratique plus et j’ai travaillé très dur pour surmonter tout ça.
Il dit également vivre dans un établissement depuis un an pour « résoudre mes problèmes, soigner ma santé mentale et apprendre à éviter certaines de ces maladies qui ont toujours affecté ma famille ». Il a le sentiment d’avoir atteint un point où il peut à nouveau parler en public. Comme dans la déclaration il ne reconnaît ni les faits, ni ne présente d’excuses à ses accusateurs, cela a généré de nombreuses réactions négatives de la part des fans et des autres membres de la communauté electro :
just watching datsik’s non-apology, in which he spares not a single word to address his victims or acknowledge anyone but himself.
— Eprom bed (@eprombeats) November 5, 2019
Datsik can fuck right off honestly
What he did wasn’t a “mistake”, it was a long-term pattern of behavior whereby he identified victims, developed strategies with his cohorts to groom and isolate them, and created ways to avoid being caught and held responsible
fuck
right
off— Albert Maloof Berdellans III (@EDMsnob) November 5, 2019
bro what the FUCK was that datsik « apology » video? he didn’t address a single accusation about sexual assault. he talked about himself the ENTIRE time and how hard it has been for HIM.
HELL. FUCKING. NO.
DO NOT LET THIS GUY BACK INTO THE SCENE.
— RAVENSCOON (@ravenscoon) November 5, 2019
Le producteur conclut en remerciant les personnes qui lui ont offert leur soutien et dit préparer un comback, Datsik mentionnant « des plans impressionnants et excitants à partager bientôt avec vous ».
La vidéo est disponible ici.
Retranscription écrite de la vidéo :
Hey everyone, I know I’ve been gone, but I’m back today to tell you what I’ve been up to over the last 18 months. I have a few things I want to say, so I’ve written some stuff down and please bear with me because it is important that I don’t forget anything. Over the last 18 months I’ve been taking much needed time to look in the mirror and work on improving myself through introspection and therapy. I have taken the comments that were made about me very seriously. Only by first understanding a problem are you truly able to fix it, so I’ve been using this past year and a half to do some major soul searching, and to figure out how I can better myself, and make smarter lifestyle choices moving forward.
Looking back now with the benefit of seeing through a clearer lens has shown me how I could and should have done things differently.
Back when I was originally confronted on social media, my heart was broken, and the flurry of negative comments caused my mind to spiral out of control. At the time, I gave little consideration to what others were feeling and for that I’m sorry. As an optimistic person, this was all very hard for me to grasp at the time and I definitely was not in the right mindset to handle it all or approach it properly. As time went on though, I looked inward and realized that I should have used the position that I was in to set a better example. I feel embarrassed and ashamed that I caused anyone any distress, for real, it was never intentional, but here we are nonetheless.
This last year was a very painful learning experience for me, but a necessary one. It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve heard you all, and I will continue to listen. It’s all I have been able to think about and I have done my best to pick up the pieces, and grow as a human being.
The first step for me was coming to terms with the fact that I had developed some serious problems after years of touring. The anxiety and depression that I have carried with me since childhood got amplified as the touring went on, and what seemed like a quick solution was actually a prescription for a major downfall…. It was a very slippery slope, and now I see that when I think back to it all.
I apologize for my poor behavior and the reckless lifestyle that had a detrimental effect on my relationships. It is a lifestyle that I am no longer practicing and one that I have worked hard to overcome. In the end, when I lost everything I loved, I also lost my self-esteem and hit rock bottom. It was then that I realized that a massive shift of focus was necessary in order to do right by everyone who has supported me, and for me to start the next chapter of my life.
When my last tour ended, I decided to make some radical changes in the way I was living and alter the path that I was on. I went to live in a facility to work through my issues, treat my mental health, and learn how to avert some of the illness that has always plagued my family. I spent time with a therapist and uncovered some deep seated issues that I couldn’t face before. It’s been a difficult road but a much needed one. After over 1000 shows and treating myself horribly along the way, I feel grateful that I have had a minute to hit pause and really kick the negativity that controlled me for so long. I’m doing my best to stay healthy and positive, and I plan to keep moving forward this way.
This journey has been beyond emotional. It’s been very humbling, and It’s taught me a lot about myself, my relationships with others, and about just being myself again instead of who I thought people expected me to be. It’s opened my eyes to the moral duty I have as a member of the EDM community, and society as a whole. I have learned a lot during this process. I have taken the time to understand how my actions impact others.
And this is the thing…. I’m extremely grateful for the platform you have all given me… It’s because of you, that I’ve been able to live out some of my biggest dreams, share my art, and live a life filled with passion and dope beats. That in itself is a blessing of mass proportion that I can never ever truly pay back. But that also comes with a great deal of responsibility which I never understood before. I’d like to believe that I’m still in a position to do something positive and I would like to pay it forward. I want to be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem. I want to take what I’ve learned from my mistakes and help others in the process, in much of the same way I received help. I want to turn this around, and I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I’ve done a lot of brainstorming while I’ve been off the radar, and I have some awesome and exciting plans to share with you all soon.
‘Til then, I just want to say thank you to the people who have stuck by me and supported me while I was at my lowest. Publicly, I know it was hard, but all of the private messages really meant a lot to me. I apologize for taking so long to get back to everyone but I have been using this time to figure my shit out. The kindness some of you demonstrated gave me hope for a happy life, and I will never forget it. I would like to regain your trust, I’m a human being, and I’m continuing to learn and grow, and I believe this journey has changed me for the better. If my wish comes true, I promise to raise the bar and live up to your expectations on every level. I will always look back at this past year and a half as the most important and the most difficult time of my life, because it provoked the largest growth and change I’ve ever undergone. At the end of the day, music is my life… it’s my heart, my soul, my passion, and my higher power. I can’t imagine a life without it.
I hope to see you all again in the future as Troy/Datsik 2.0.
Thanks for listening.
Will
