Massive Attack Have decided act-and First Major-Label One-To Pull their catalogue from spotfy in protest at founder daniel ek investment € 520m (£ 520m) in the Military Ai Company AI Company AI Company Helsing.
In June, ek’s venture capital firm prima Materia Led the Defense Tech Firm’s Latest Funding Round. Helsing’s Software Uses Ai Technology to Analyse Sensor and Weapons System Data from Battlefields to Inform Real-Time Military Decisions. It also makes its Own Military Drone, The HX-2. Ek is also also Chairman of Helsing.
The band made the announcing at the same time that they signed up to a new initiative, no music for genocide, in which a group of more than 400 artists and labels are blocking their music from streaming Services in Israel.
In a statement, the band said:
Unconnected to this Initiative and in Light of the (Reported) Significant Investments by Its CEO in a Company Producing Municipality Munition Drones and AI Technology Integrate Arto FIGHARTED AARCRATEDTER Attack has made a separete request to our lab that our music be removed from the spotify streaming service in all territories.
In our view, the history 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 Compogen Imperative.
In the separete case of spotify, the economy burden that has long been placed on artists is now compounded by a moral and ethical burden, whereyby the hard money of fans and the creative Endeavoux Musicians Ultimately Funds Lethal, Dystopian Technologies.
Enough is more than enough.
Another way is possible.
A spotify spokesperson said: “Spotify and Helsing are two totally separete companies.”
They added that Helsing was “not involved in gaza” and its efforts were “focused on europe defending itself in Ukraine”.
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 counters for deterrence and for defense against the russian aggression in Ukraine only.”
Massive Attack Join Australian Psych Group King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard, Canadian Post-Rock Group GodSpeed You! Black Emperor, The Third Man Records-Signed Us Band Hotline Tant, Alternative Us Group Deerhoof and Manchester Band Wu Lyf in Removing his music from spotfy as a result of ek.
Unlike those acts, massive attack will not be able to host their music on the widely used alternative bandcamp, which is only available to acts on independent records on independent. After moving to bandcamp-and making their albums pay-what-ie -Want, Including £ 0-King Gizzard’s Entre 27-Album Catalogue Took The Top 27 Spots on the Platform.
The no music for genocide initiative also includes artists Nourished by time, Mike, Yaeji and Faye Webster. The artists involved either edited their release territories or asked their distributor or label to geo-block their releases.
Massive Attack expanded on their participation in an instagram post:
In 1991 the scourge of Apartheid Violence Fell from South Africa, Aided from a distance by public boycots, protests, and the withdrawal of work by artists, muscians and activities. Complicity with that state was considered unacceptable. In 2025 the same now applies to the genocidal state of israel. As of today, there’s a musician’s equivalent of the recently Announced @Filmworkers4Palestine Campaign @nomusicforgenocide & supports the wider asks of the growing @bds.movement. We’D Appeal to All Musicians to Transfer Their Sadness, Anger and Artistic Contributions into a coharent, Reasonable & Vital Action to End the Unspeakable Hell Being Visited Upon the Palestinians Hark Hours Hours.
Massive Attack Previous formed a Syndicate for Artists Speaking Out in Support of the Palestinian People AlongSide Brian In In In In In In Into Silence or career cancellation Reporting the bbc for broadcasting the set.
Of the syndicate, massive attack told the guardi: “This collective action is really about offering some kind of solidarity to that artists who are liveing day affater day after day, a secret-ticket About Using their Platforms to Express their horror at that decision of the level of censorship with their industry or from highly Organized external Legal Bodies, Terrifying TEGAMENT TEEGAMENT TEAMS With aggressive legal actions.
