Pressuring tech moguls like Dr. Evil, led by music band King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, to enhance their ethical standards due to their investments in military technology, is now a topic of concern, as the band withdraws their music from Spotify.
In a recent development, indie bands King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu have decided to remove their music from Spotify, expressing their disapproval of Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's investment in Helsing, a German military technology startup specialising in AI-powered combat drones and military software.
The controversy began when Ek, who is also the chairman of Helsing, invested around €600 million (approximately $700 million) through his venture capital firm Prima Materia. This investment has sparked widespread backlash from artists and users who criticise the support of military AI technology while Spotify pays low royalties to musicians.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu are among notable artists publicly withdrawing their music from Spotify in response to these concerns. Bands like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard announced their decision on social media, urging fans to pressure tech investors on ethical grounds. Other independent musicians, including Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu, have followed suit.
In an Instagram post, Deerhoof stated, "We don't want our music killing people. We don't want our success being tied to AI battle tech." Xiu Xiu, in their announcement, referred to Spotify as a "garbage hole violent armageddon portal" and urged others to put pressure on Spotify and its CEO to do better. The Instagram post from Xiu Xiu was accompanied by a photo and included the phrase "Join us on another platform."
Xiu Xiu's announcement was made last week, and the band has since removed their music from Spotify. Similarly, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have announced the release of a new demos collection, which will be available everywhere except on Spotify. In a show of further disapproval, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard added "fuck Spotify" to their announcement.
The boycott reflects broader frustrations about Spotify’s royalty policies and ethical concerns over CEO investments in military AI. Commentators like music critic Anthony Fantano have called for reallocating resources toward the struggling music economy instead of military technology.
This controversy remains ongoing as more artists consider joining the boycott movement. Some bands, like Xiu Xiu, have urged fans to cancel their Spotify subscriptions. Helsing sells software that uses AI technology to inform military decisions in real time and manufactures military drones, making it a key player in the controversial investment.
[1] [https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/15/22542714/spotify-ceo-daniel-ek-investment-helsing-german-military-tech-startup] [2] [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/spotify-ceo-daniel-ek-invested-700-million-military-ai-company-rcna16521] [3] [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/16/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-deerhoof-and-xiu-xiu-remove-music-from-spotify] [4] [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-remove-music-from-spotify-1113513/]
- Indie bands King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu have decided to cut ties with Spotify, with King Gizzard announcing their withdrawal on social media.
- Xiu Xiu, in their announcement on Instagram, denounced Spotify as a "garbage hole violent armageddon portal" and prompted others to pressure them to improve ethically.
- The bands' decision coincides with their release of a new demos collection, which will be available on all platforms except Spotify.
- Music critic Anthony Fantano has urged reallocating resources away from military technology and towards the struggling music economy.
- Canceling Spotify subscriptions, alongside boycotting the platform, is a call to action made by some artists and fans.
- Helsing, Spotify's controversial investment, develops AI technology for military decisions and drones, fueling the musicians' disapproval.
