Deerhoof have removed their catalogue from Spotify after CEO Daniel Ek invested in AI military tech, citing ethical concerns.
Experimental indie-rock group Deerhoof have announced they will pull their entire discography from Spotify, condemning the platform’s CEO Daniel Ek for investing nearly $700 million in Helsing, a defence company that develops military drones and AI-based defence software.
The band laid out their reasoning in a blistering statement shared to their blog, declaring: “We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.” The band’s decision follows reports that Ek’s venture capital firm, Prima Materia, which he co-founded and chairs, led a 600 million euro ($693.6 million) funding round for Helsing. Prima Materia has been investing in the European startup since 2021.
Deerhoof didn’t hold back in addressing the ethics of AI-driven military technology. “AI battle tech is clearly emerging as the hot new big ticket item for the super-rich,” they wrote. “It’s increasingly clear that the military and police exist primarily as the security detail for the billionaire class.”
The band also pointed to recent violence in Gaza, claiming AI and drone systems solves “the perennial inconvenience to war-makers – it takes human compassion and morality out of the equation.” Deerhoof connected the use of these technologies directly to Ek’s financial interests, saying they refuse to have their music tied to tools of warfare.
Beyond the investment issue, the band criticised Spotify’s business model more broadly, describing it as an “already widely hated data-mining scam masquerading as a ‘music company’” that they believe is “creepy for users and crappy for artists.” They argued the company’s structure exploits both musicians and listeners, and rejected the idea that the platform’s global reach justifies remaining on it: “Just because someone is far from Western gatekeepers does not mean they lack culture, or need to hear our band.”
Deerhoof, who have released 20 albums since forming in 1996, confirmed that their labels Kill Rock Stars, Polyvinyl, and Joyful Noise Recordings are backing their move to scrub the band’s music from Spotify “as soon as possible.” The band’s decision adds them to a growing chorus of artists questioning the ethics of Spotify’s leadership and business practices, and reflects a larger reckoning within the industry over how streaming profits are made – and at what moral cost.
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