The managing director of Bamboo Artists is accused of psychological violence and border crossings. Ski Aggu and 01099 separate from the label.
The managing director of the Berlin music label Bamboo Artists is accused of psychological violence and border crossings towards his employees. The label is considered one of the most successful for Gen Z in this country, having signed many young stars such as Ski Aggu, 01099 and Zartmann. CEO Leander Kirschner has represented the label since its founding – this actually stands for political correctness and sensitivity. Now both employees and artists have reacted: Ski Aggu and 01099 have already separated from the label. And Zartmann is keeping his distance for the time being.
Threats and megalomania
Several employees who were connected to the label in the past and present spoke to “Spiegel”. They made serious accusations against the CEO: he made threats to employees, put them under too much work and committed psychological abuse in various forms.
Burnout and panic attacks
In total, more than ten former employees were interviewed by “Spiegel”. They reported burnout symptoms, panic attacks and excessive stress. Messages from an internal chat group were also presented to “Spiegel” calling for protective measures. A letter from the staff to the label states: “We no longer feel that the way you as managing director treat us is acceptable.” The colleagues would like to take collective action against border violations and reserve the right to “submit our resignations together” if there is no improvement.
Editorial recommendations
The “Spiegel” posts details from the article on Instagram:
The Dresden band 01099 already has a new plan after the Bamboo Artists split. In the past, the four have worked with labels like Groove Attack and Warner – now they want to continue to stand on their own two feet. According to “Musikwoche”, 01099 will found their own company, Nullzwei99 GmbH. Josefine Fredrich and Maximilian Fellner, former Bamboo colleagues, are also said to be on board.
01099 announced their latest developments on Instagram:
From celebrated manager to reproach
In recent years, Kirschner has been celebrated as one of Germany’s most successful music managers. In interviews he continually reported on his visions for the label. He always asserted that being on equal terms with artists was particularly important to him. The fact that he built the label into one of the most successful music labels in Germany in just three years attracted a lot of media attention. In the “OMR” podcast, he credits his “innovative marketing and data-driven work” for his success.