Massive Attack pull their music from Spotify and platforms in Israel

Celebrated British trip-hop collective Massive Attack is the latest music act to pull their catalogue from Spotify in protest at founder Daniel Ek investing €600m in Helsing.

Ek co-founded the investment firm Prima Materia, which has invested heavily in the German company, which produces “military munition drones and AI technology integrated into fighter aircraft”.  Ek is also the chairman of Helsing.

The band has asked their label, UMG, to remove their music not just from Spotify but all streaming platforms in Israel.

In a statement on Instagram, the band wrote: “In light of the (reported) significant investments by [Spotify’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.”

The statement continued: “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.” 

The No Music For Genocide campaign is a cultural boycott initiative encouraging artists and rights-holders to pull their music from streaming platforms in Israel. More than 400 artists, including Fontaines D.C., Kneecap, Primal Scream, Rina Sawayama, Wednesday, Amyl & The Sniffers, Japanese Breakfast and MØ.  

“Culture can’t stop bombs on its own, but it can help reject political repression, shift public opinion toward justice, and refuse the art-washing and normalization of any company or nation that commits crimes against humanity,” a statement from the coalition read.

“This initiative is one part of a worldwide movement to erode the support Israel needs to continue its genocide. We’re inspired by the escalating efforts in pursuit of that goal, from the recent Film Workers For Palestine pledge to Spain’s ban of Israel-bound ships and planes to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition to Demilitarize Brooklyn Navy Yard to dockworkers in Morocco who’ve refused to load weapons onto vessels ordered by Tel Aviv.” 

Massive Attack went on to say that in the 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 also highlighted the Filmworkers4Palestine campaign and added that they appeal to all musicians to “transfer their sadness, anger and artistic contributions into a coherent, reasonable & vital action to end the unspeakable hell being visited upon the Palestinians hour after hour.”

Other artists that have already pulled their music from Spotify in protest of Ek’s investment in Helsing include King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu.

A Spotify spokesperson has said that Spotfiy and Helsing are “two totally separate companies” and that Helsing was “not involved in Gaza”.

Helsing said in a 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.”

Massive Attack previously announced an alliance of musicians speaking out over Gaza against “intimidations from within” the music industry. In July, they shared a statement announcing the union of musicians who have spoken out over the Israel-Palestine war and have faced attempts of censorship.