Massive Attack have pulled their catalogue from Spotify, citing a 'moral and ethical burden' after the streaming platform's founder, Daniel Ek, invested €600 million (£520 million) in the military AI company Helsing. The band is the first major-label act to take such action.
In June, Ek's venture capital firm Prima Materia led a funding round for Helsing, which develops AI software for battlefield analysis and produces the HX-2 military drone. Ek also serves as chairman of Helsing. A Spotify spokesperson stated that 'Spotify and Helsing are two totally separate companies' and that Helsing's efforts are focused on 'Europe defending itself in Ukraine'. Helsing denied its technology is deployed in war zones outside Ukraine.
The announcement coincided with the band joining the No Music for Genocide initiative, a campaign of over 400 artists and labels blocking their music from streaming services in Israel. Massive Attack said the economic burden on artists is 'now compounded by a moral and ethical burden, whereby the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians ultimately funds lethal, dystopian technologies'.
Massive Attack join several other acts, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, in removing music from Spotify over Ek's investment. Unlike those independent acts, Massive Attack cannot move to Bandcamp, which is only available to artists on independent labels.
The band previously formed a syndicate with Brian Eno, Kneecap and Fontaines DC to protect artists speaking out for Palestinians from 'threatened into silence or career cancellation'.
