William Benjamin Bensussen (born November 7, 1982), better known by his stage name The Gaslamp Killer, is an American
alternative hip hop producer and DJ based in
Los Angeles,
California.[3]
Career
He grew up in
San Diego,
California, where he became a DJ in the
Gaslamp district. His sets often ruined the music vibe in the clubs, earning him the nickname "The Gaslamp Killer".[4]
After moving to
Los Angeles in 2006, he helped found
Low End Theory, "L.A.'s monolithic weekly showcase for uncut beat-driven tracks".[5]
In August 2012, he released a single, "Flange Face" b/w "Seven Years of Bad Luck for Fun", which was listed by
Pitchfork as their "Best New Track" of July 2012.[11] His debut album, Breakthrough, was released in September 2012.[12]
In 2015, he released a live album, The Gaslamp Killer Experience: Live in Los Angeles.[13] In 2016, he released a studio album, Instrumentalepathy.[14] In 2020, he released his latest album Heart Math.
In 2017, he was accused of rape by a woman named Chelsea Tadros, who claimed he met her and another woman at the
Standard Hotel in 2013, and "had non-consensual sex with both of us while we were completely incapacitated." Bensussen replied with a $5 million defamation lawsuit. In 2019, the suit was settled with a joint statement: "After their discussions, Ms. Tadros acknowledges she does not know who drugged her, and both parties recognized that Ms. Tadros could have been drugged by one of the many attendees that were present on July 5th, 2013. Ms. Tadros continues to maintain that she was drugged and thereby unable to consent on July 5, 2013. Mr. Bensussen maintains that he has never drugged or raped anyone, and that he did not have any indication that Ms. Tadros was drugged or unable to consent."[18]