Massive Attack to remove back catalogue from Spotify
Massive Attack have requested for their music be removed from Spotify.
In recent months, many artists have chosen to withdraw their music from the streaming platform. The boycott was led by Australian rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard in July, who explained of their decision, “A PSA to those unaware: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests millions in AI military drone technology. We just removed our music from the platform.”
The group were referring to a report from June, which stated that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek led a €600million investment into Helsing, an AI military start-up producing drones, aircraft and submarines.
Over the last two months, many other acts including Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Deerhoof, Hotline TNT and Cindy Lee have also followed King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s lead.
Now, Massive Attack have shared their intentions. The trip-hop pioneers boast more than eight million monthly listeners on the streaming platform. In addition to joining the No Music For Genocide campaign to geo-block their music in Israel, Massive Attack have gone a step further by announcing they have requested to have their back catalogue removed from Spotify.
Taking to Instagram, they began by highlighting the new initiative, which is backed by 400 artists, writing: “In support of the ‘No Music For Genocide’ initiative, Massive Attack have made a formal request to our record label (Universal Music Group) that our music be removed from all DSP streaming services in the territory of Israel.”
Massive Attack continued: “Unconnected to this initiative & in light of the (reported) significant investments by it’s CEO in a company producing military munition drones & Al technology integrated 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.”
They also said of their goal with the ‘No Music For Genocide’ campaign: “In our view, the historic precedent of effective artist action during apartheid South Africa and the apartheid, war crimes and genocide now being committed by the state of Israel renders the ‘No Music For Genocide’ campaign imperative.”
Turning their attention back to Spotify, they added, “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.”
Massive Attack concluded their statement by writing, “Enough is more than enough. Another way is possible.” As of writing, their music remains on Spotify.
In response to Massive Attack’s announcement, Helsing, the company that Ek invested in, has issued the following statement: “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 the Russian aggression in Ukraine only.”
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