Bands King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, and Deerhoof Withdraw Music from Spotify
Three prominent bands—King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Xiu Xiu, and Deerhoof—have initiated a new protest against Spotify due to the recent investments of its co-founder, Daniel Ek, in a military defense company.
Daniel Ek’s Military Investments
Daniel Ek, co-founder of Spotify, led a $649 million investment in military technology firm Helsing in June 2022. The investment was made through his venture capital firm, Prima Materia, alongside investors Lightspeed Ventures, Accel, Plural, General Catalyst, SAAB, BDT & MSD Partners.
Ek’s involvement with Helsing is not new. In 2021, he invested $113 million in the company that develops AI-powered military defense software.
Helsing’s Military Technology
Helsing develops the HX2 drone, capable of targeting military artillery, armored vehicles, and other objectives within a range of up to 100 kilometers. The defense company is also responsible for creating the Centaur system, which integrates advanced AI pilots into combat aircraft cockpits.
Bands’ Response
The bands swiftly responded to Ek’s military investments:
- Deerhoof: A San Francisco-based indie rock band founded in 1994, Deerhoof removed their 20 albums from Spotify, stating, “We don’t want our music contributing to killing people. We don’t want our success tied to the AI tech war.”
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: The Australian art-rock trio announced the removal of their 30 albums from Spotify, saying, “We’re working to take all our music off the violent, garbage streaming platform. Join us on another platform.”
- Xiu Xiu: The American art-pop trio removed their 17 albums published since 2002, stating, “We’re pulling all our music from the violent Spotify platform.”
Previous Artist Protests Against Spotify
This is not the first time Spotify has faced artist exodus. In 2022, Neil Young led a protest against Spotify for promoting misinformation dissemination through podcast hosts like Joe Rogan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and India.Arie temporarily left Spotify’s solo catalog, they have since returned.
Spotify’s Payment Criticism
The primary criticism Spotify continues to face is its payment structure, which offers minuscule royalties to artists and requires at least 1,000 streams before payment begins.
Ek’s Military Ties Spark New Protest
Daniel Ek’s military connections have sparked a new wave of protests against Spotify, with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, and Xiu Xiu individually taking action against the streaming platform.
