Post-rock titans GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR have pulled their entire discography from streaming services, leaving Bandcamp as the only platform where fans can access their catalog digitally. The move comes at a time when Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform, is facing mounting criticism over its business practices, technological experiments, and ethical controversies.
Godspeed‘s decision follows a trend of notable artists — including Xiu Xiu, KING GIZZARD & THE LIZZARD WIZARD and DEERHOOF — who have recently withdrawn their music from Spotify. The catalyst for these withdrawals has been the revelation that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has invested in Helsing, a German company specializing in AI-driven military technology.
For bands whose music and ethos are rooted in social and political critique, Ek’s involvement in the military-industrial sector represents a red line. GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, known for their anti-capitalist stance and outspoken resistance to authoritarianism, align naturally with such a protest.
Lately, Spotify had been on the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The involvement of EK in the military industry, the unnecessary biometrics in order to verify the age of the users, the use of AI generasted content or the fact that musicians and bands do not get what they should have.
This decision by GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR is mostly symbolical but it brings forward the conversation about those streaming platforms and whether they treat artists with respect.
