Massive Attack said they will block their music in Israel and asked to pull their songs from Spotify. The British group joined a new campaign called “No Music for Genocide.” The move links their stance on Gaza with concerns about Spotify’s ties to defence tech.
Band backs cultural boycott and outlines demands
The Bristol group said “No Music for Genocide” is modelled on “Film Workers for Palestine.” The collective calls for a cultural boycott of Israel over the war in Gaza. A website for the campaign says more than 400 artists and labels have geo-blocked or removed music in Israel.
It also shares guides for artists to geo-block songs on streaming platforms in Israel. Massive Attack urged other musicians to act. “We’d appeal to all musicians to transfer their sadness, anger and artistic contributions into a coherent, reasonable and vital action,” they wrote on Instagram.
According to AFP via Yahoo News, the band are long-standing critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza. They cited the cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa as inspiration. “Complicity with that state was considered unacceptable,” they said.
Spotify link to defence AI draws fresh pressure
Massive Attack said they asked their label to remove all their songs from Spotify. They pointed to investments in Helsing by Daniel Ek, the Spotify CEO and co-founder. Ek runs a private equity firm that led a 600 million euros ($700 million) round in June for Helsing.
Helsing position and Spotify response
Helsing makes military artificial intelligence and drone technology. The company says its mission is “to protect our democratic values and open societies.” Ek also serves as Helsing’s chairman, the report said.
AFP reported that Spotify was approached for comment. A spokesperson told the Guardian that Spotify and Helsing are “totally separate companies” and that Helsing is “not involved in Gaza.” Helsing said its technology is not used outside of Europe.
“Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only,” Helsing said. Massive Attack said “the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians funds lethal, dystopian technologies.”
The group also joined a London concert called “Together for Palestine.” The show featured Bastille, Brian Eno and Jamie xx. The campaign aims to push cultural and commercial pressure tied to Gaza.
