Nirosta Steel Issues Clarifying Statement Amid Social Media Controversy

Steven Hall, a veteran musician and collaborator with Arthur Russell who performs under the name Nirosta Steel, achieved a breakthrough this year with the release of My Skyscraper, a collection of recordings spanning four decades, on the boutique indie label ULYSSA. The growing attention surrounding the project has now attracted heightened scrutiny.

Last week, Twitter/X user @simonwestgate posted alleged screenshots of Nirosta Steel’s RedNote profile. The images showed Hall following a variety of accounts, including those belonging to minors and AI‑generated ‘shotacon’ profiles—Japanese slang for content depicting attraction to young boys. Following the spread of these screenshots, @simonwestgate posted a follow‑up stating that Hall had removed his RedNote account.

I would like to address the speculation circulating online.

A few weeks ago my husband mentioned that people were discovering my music on RedNote, so I quickly browsed the platform and followed several accounts without closely examining their content.

I was surprised when a friend sent me screenshots showing that some of the accounts I followed contained highly offensive material, prompting me to delete my profile. Those accounts do not represent my interests.

I recognize the concerns, yet I suspect that ageism and homophobia may also be influencing the conversation.

I apologize to any fans who were upset by this misunderstanding. I need to be more careful on social media, and I ask for your patience as an older artist less familiar with the internet.

Tone Glow, a publication edited by Chicago music journalist Joshua Minsoo Kim, had booked Nirosta Steel for performances on September 18 and 19 at the Hideout venue. On Wednesday, Kim announced that the shows were being cancelled and declined to comment when contacted by Stereogum. Following the cancellation, Nirosta Steel revealed a new concert scheduled for January 29 at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall, organized by Audiotree.

Nirosta Steel is set to play four shows in New York on September 10, 11, and 12 at Night Club 101, and will also appear at festivals including Pygmalion, Woodsist, Le Guess Who, and Pitchfork Music Festival Paris.

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