Massive Attack is bailing on Spotify — and Israel.
The British electronic act has told Universal Music Group, its label home, to pull its works from Spotify in all territories, and separately requested the music giant to withdraw their catalogue from all streaming platforms in Israel, in solidarity to the “No Music for Genocide” campaign, of which Massive Attack is a signatory.
In a statement, the duo clarifies that the Spotify rejection is a protest to the streamer’s CEO Daniel Ek and his personal investments outside of the music industry.
The same message calls for Massive Attack’s music to be wiped “from all DSP streaming services in the territory of Israel.”
“We’d 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,” reads a social post.
Massive Attack joins an exodus of artists from Spotify, which includes King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and David Bridie.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of metal, rock, indie, pop, and everything else in between.
According to reports, the Swedish-born Ek has plugged $1 billion into Helsing, a defense company that sells AI software to inform military situations. A spokesperson for Helsing insists its technology isn’t being used in war zones outside of Ukraine.
“Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only,” a spokesperson says.
Hailing from Bristol’s trip hop scene, and led by Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, Massive Attack operated at the vanguard of Britain’s world-class electronic music scene in the 1990s and 2000s.
Along the way, they’ve collected two No. 1s on The Official UK Albums Chart, for 1998’s Mezzanine and 2003’s 100th Window, scooped a Brit Award (for Best British Dance Act in 1996), and received the coveted Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music, in 2009.
Several of their top 40 hits, which include “Teardrop,” “Unfinished Sympathy,” “Safe From Harm” and “Karmacoma” featuring Tricky, are considered part of the DNA of modern British music.
No Music for Genocide declares itself “a cultural boycott of Israel” and currently boasts over 400 artists and labels, who have have geo-blocked and removed their music from that territory. Other artists signed up include Amyl and The Sniffers, Fontaines D.C., Primal Scream and Grizzly Bear.
