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File: 1752858471643.jpg ( 117.94 KB , 1080x1080 , massive attack kneecap jul….jpg )

 No.1189

Massive Attack announce alliance of artists in support of Gaza, including Fontaines DC, Kneecap and Brian Eno

Massive Attack, Kneecap, Fontaines DC, and Brian Eno have officially formed a syndicate for artists who speak out about “aggressive, vexatious campaigns by pro-Israel advocates” against the people of Gaza.

The news was shared via social media, in a statement that began “the scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description,” before clearly expressing that the UK government has clearly “facilitated” the “genocide”.

The group aims to protect other artists, especially those at the beginning of their careers, from threats experienced as a by-product of speaking out in a similar way. The group revealed that they have been “subject to various infringements from within our industry (live and recorded) and legally via organised bodies such as UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).”

UKLFI reported Bob Vylan for their Glastonbury set, during which they chanted “death to the IDF.” A criminal investigation is currently underway. UKLFI also reported the BBC for broadcasting the set. As a. result, the broadcaster’s Head of Music and a team of senior BBC workers have stepped down while an internal investigation goes ahead.

UKLFI are also at the centre of the Kneecap controversy after Mo Chara was charged with a terrorism offence after he allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag at a show in 2024 while shouting, “Up Hamas, Up Hezbollah.” Hezbollah are a banned organisation in the UK.

Reflecting on these tactics, the post states, “Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we won’t stand by and allow other artists – particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability – to be threatened into silence or career cancellation.”

It then encourages other artists “who’ve been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine but are concerned about industrial or legal repercussions” to contact them to make a collective stand.

The collective will work together on a list of demands, including “immediate, unfettered access to Gaza for recognised international aid agencies without military threat,” as well as an end to “UK arms sales/licenses to Israel” and an”immediate and permanent ceasefire.”

In a statement further shared with The Guardian, Massive Attack expanded on the collective: “This collective action is really about offering some kind of solidarity to those artists who are living day after day in a screen-time genocide, but are worried about using their platforms to express their horror at that because of the level of censorship within their industry or from highly organised external legal bodies, terrifying them and their management teams with aggressive legal actions. The intention is clear and obvious: to silence them.”

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/massive-attack-alliance-gaza-fontaines-dc-kneecap-brian-eno/
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jul/17/massive-attack-announce-alliance-of-musicians-speaking-out-over-gaza
>>

 No.1342

This is a big one. In recent months, a number of artists have removed their music from Spotify in response to CEO Daniel Ek investing $700 million in the AI military startup Helsing. Now, Bristol trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack have become the latest act to boycott Spotify. Most of the artists who have announced the removal of their music from the streaming service are independent. Massive Attack, like temporary Spotify boycotter Neil Young before them, are major-label artists. On Spotify, they have nearly eight million monthly listeners. Massive Attack have been vocal about their opposition to Israel’s campaign of genocide and to militarism in general, and they’re putting their money where their mouth is.

Today, Massive Attack joined a group of more than 400 artists and labels who have elected to block their music from all streaming services within the state of Israel while urging major labels to do the same. In announcing their alignment with the “No Music For Genocide” campaign on Instagram, Massive Attack went on to say that they have further moved to take all of their music down from Spotify everywhere, citing a situation in which “the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians ultimately funds lethal, dystopian technologies.” Here’s what they’ve written:

"In support of the “No Music For Genocide” initiative, Massive Attack have made a formal request to our record label (Universal Music Group) that our music be removed from all DSP streaming services in the territory of Israel.

Unconnected to this initiative & in light of the (reported) significant investments by it’s CEO in a company producing military munition drones & Al technology intergrated into fighter aircraft, Massive Attack have made a seperate request to our label that our music be removed from the Spotify streaming service in all territories.

In our view, the historic precedent 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” campaign imperative.

In the seperate case of Spotify, the economic burden that has long been placed on artists is now compounded by a moral & ethical burden, whereby the hard-earned money of fans & the creative endeavours of musicians ulitmately funds lethal, dystopian technologies.

Enough is more than enough.

Another way is possible."

In the Instagram caption to that announcement, Massive Attack have more to say:

"In 1991 the scourge of apartheid violence fell from South Africa, aided from a distance by public boycotts, protests, & the withdrawal of work by artists, musicians and actors. 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 (signed by 4,500 filmmakers, actors, industry workers & institutions) – it can be found @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 coherent, reasonable & vital action to end the unspeakable hell being visited upon the Palestinians hour after hour."

In recent months, artists like Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hotline TNT, WU LYF, and Young Widows have removed their music from Spotify. As I write this, Massive Attack’s music is still in Spotify, but it probably takes a little longer to enforce that kind of decision when you’re working within the major-label system.

https://www.stereogum.com/2323422/massive-attack-removing-catalog-from-spotify/news/

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