Massiveโ Attack Boycotts Israeliโค Streams, Challenges โฃSpotify Over Military Tech Investment
bristol, โUK – โBritish trip-hop pioneers Massiveโ Attack haveโ requested the removal of their music from all streaming services inโ Israel, citing theโฃ ongoing conflict in โGaza. The band simultaneously announced intentions to โwithdraw their catalog from Spotify โขglobally, alleging โthe platform’s founder, Daniel Ek, invests heavily โฃin companies developing militaryโ artificial intelligence and combat drones.
The group detailed their decisionโ Thursday on Instagram, stating the action is part of the โ”No Music forโ Genocide” movement, a coalition โof over 400 artists and publishing houses advocatingโ for a culturalโ boycott of Israel.
“We have sent an official requestโฃ to download our music from allโ streaming services in israel to our publishing house,”โค theโฃ band wrote.
Massive Attack,โค formed in 1988, also expressed concern over Spotify’s financial impact on artists,โฃ adding that an “ethical and moral burden” now accompanies the existing economic strain. their debut album, Blue Lines, remains โa landmark recordingโ ofโ the โค1990s British music scene.
Spotifyโ declinedโฃ to comment when contacted by AFP.
The controversy centersโ on Daniel Ek’s chairmanship ofโ Helsing, a company that develops military autonomous systems enhanced โคby artificial intelligence. โฃHelsing recently denied reports that itsโ drones โฃhave โคbeen deployed in conflict zones outside of Ukraine, according to information on its website.
Theโค streaming giant โฃhas previouslyโ faced criticism and online boycott โcampaigns regarding artist compensation.