Xiu Xiu to Pull Music From Spotify
Xiu Xiu's Angela Seo and Jamie Stewart, January 2011 (Jordi Vidal/Redferns)
Xiu Xiu are planning to remove their music from Spotify. 'It is taking longer than we had hoped due to procedurally complications but will be completed soon,' the band cautioned in a statement. 'Thanks for the support and patience.'
Through a representative Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart told Pitchfork that they and their bandmates 'have been working on this for about a month, and the hope is that almost everything will be off next week.' They also said that Polyvinyl, Kill Rock Stars, and Graveface have been 'supportive' in helping the band get its music off Spotify.
Explaining why they are trying to get their music off of Spotify, Xiu Xiu wrote: 'Spotify uses music money to invest in AI war drones.' Xiu Xiu are referring to investments made by Prima Materia, an investment fund that was founded by Spotify co-founder and chief executive Daniel Ek. It was reported in June that Prima Materia led a new round of investment in Helsing, a defense company that sells software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to inform military decisions. Prima Materia has been investing in Helsing since 2021, and the new round of funding amounts to 600 million euros ($693.6 million). Helsing currently operates in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
When asked if Xiu Xiu plan to pull music from additional streamers, Stewart said: 'We are removing our music from Spotify specifically and encouraging people to cancel their subscriptions because of their investment in AI war drones. Although the financial practices of all streaming services is acutely anti-musician, the actions of Spotify to use the profits they made from essentially stealing music in order to murder people to make even more money is almost beyond comprehension.'
Last month, Deerhoof announced their intention of taking music off of Spotify. They also cited Prima Materia's investments as a major reason in leaving the digital streaming platform.
All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by Pitchfork editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission.
Will Neil Young and Joni Mitchell's Departure Spark a Bigger Spotify Exodus?
They've started a widespread conversation about Spotify by doing something most musicians can't.
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