American EDM superstars Krewella, now comprised of Yousaf sisters Jahan and Yasmine, have claimed that ex-member and co-founder Kris “Rain Man” Trindl pretended to DJ when the former trio performed together onstage.
In September, it was announced that Trindl was no longer part of Krewella. He filed a lawsuit, telling Los Angeles Superior Court that the Yousaf sisters mistook his newfound sobriety, having overcome alcoholism, for depression and wanted him out of Krewella due to the fact he no longer partied.
Now, as The Hollywood Reporter reports, the Yousaf sisters have filed a countersuit. The suit alleges that “Kris would generally stand to the side of Jahan and Yasmine and pump his arms, while pretending to DJ” onstage.
“He was onstage primarily for the sake of image. Because Kris did not know how to DJ, he only had two effect buttons.”
The suit alleges the three agreed that Trindl would become more involved in the live show by, you know, actually learning how to DJ, or at least learning a couple of chords on the guitar.
Instead, he allegedly appeared at performances inebriated and hassled his former group mates, sabotaging their sets. “Kris would recklessly use his controller to mess up Jahan and Yasmine’s mixing or would simply stop the music,” claim the Yousaf court papers.
Apparently Trindl would become so disruptive that Yasmine would “unplug and deactivate his equipment” in an effort to minimise Trindl’s troublemaking. “However Kris would be too intoxicated to notice,” read the he Yousaf court papers.
The papers note that Trindl given a production credit for all 12 songs on Krewella’s 2013 debut album Get Wet, but “only wholly contributed” and “did little to no production” on four others. Eventually the group had to hire outside producers to assist Trindl in the completion of Get Wet.
Trindl’s sobriety also comes into question, with claims he became intoxicated only two months after promising to get sober, noting tweets by Trindl such as “New Year’s resolution: smoke more weed.” The Yousaf sisters say they staged an intervention for Trindl but that he refused to seek help.
The paper’s also point to Trindl missing 68 of 212 shows between January 2013 and June 2014 after he allegedly quit the band but was “unjustly enriched”, continuing to claim a one-third share amounting to nearly $1 million over a 12 month period.
Trindl’s attorney Dina LaPolt said her client’s problems with addiction doesn’t mean he can he thrown out of Krewella and be denied his rightful share. LaPolt claimed the Yousaf sisters “didn’t know what a middle C was on the keyboard” before they met Trindl and “still don’t”.
“The only notes they know are bank notes,” said LaPolt. Yousaf sisters attorney Richard Busch has called Trindl’s lawsuit “baseless”.
Krewella last visited Australia as part of Stereosonic 2013.
