Massive Attack Announce They’re Leaving Spotify In Protest Of AI Military Funding

Massive Attack have joined Deerhoof, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Xiu Xiu and more in boycotting Spotify over CEO Daniel Ek’s military investments.

UPDATE 9:22 pm 19/09: A spokesperson for Spotify For Artists replied in Massive Attacks Instagram post clarifying that the company was separate from Helsing. The account would write, “Spotify and Helsing are two totally separate companies. And while I can’t speak for Helsing, I’m well aware they’re not involved in Gaza. I know because I had the same questions myself, and asked. Helsing’s efforts are focused on Europe defending itself in Ukraine. If you want to talk about Spotify and royalty payouts, happy to have a conversation.”

Massive Attack has announced that they will be pulling their music from Spotify. The band shared a statement expressing solidarity with No Music For Genocide, a cultural boycott initiative pressuring artists, labels, and rights-holders to remove music from streaming platforms via geo-blocking in Israel.

The band has announced they intend to join the movement, along with Fontaines DC, Amyl & The Sniffers, Japanese Breakfast, and more, while also taking the next step and removing their music from Spotify entirely.

In a statement, Massive Attack explained that this decision is unrelated to No Music For Genocide and is in response to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s multimillion-dollar investments in AI military drone technology through the German firm Helsing.

“Unconnected to this initiative & in light of the (reported) significant investments by it’s CEO in a company producing military munition drones & AI technology intergrated into fighter aircraft, Massive Attack have made a separate request to our label that our music be removed from the Spotify streaming service in all territories,” Massive Attack wrote.

“In the separate case of Spotify, the economic burden that has long been placed on artists is now compounded by a moral & ethical burden, whereby the hard-earned money of fans & the creative endeavours of musicians ultimately funds lethal, dystopian technologies,” the band continued. “Enough is more than enough. Another way is possible.”

Massive Attack is among the numerous artists who have announced that they would be leaving the platform over Daniel Ek and his venture capital fund Prima Mataria’s investments in defense company Helsing. In a statement released this week, Helsing would address the boycott, writing: “Currently we see misinformation spreading that Helsing’s technology is deployed in war zones other than Ukraine. This is not correct. Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against Russian aggression in Ukraine only.”