Deerhoof Are ‘Quitting Spotify’ Over CEO Investing in ‘AI Battle Tech’ Company
June 30, 2025
Deerhoof announced they are leaving Spotify after its CEO, Daniel Ek, invested nearly $700 million in defense company Helsing, which makes military drones and AI defense software.
“We don’t want our music killing people,” the band said in a statement, explaining why they’re planning on taking all of their music off the streaming platform. “We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech.” Spotify did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
Earlier this month, the European startup company Helsing announced that it had raised 600 million euros ($693.6 million) in a round of funding, which was led by venture capital firm Prima Materia, co-founded by Ek, and where he also serves as chairman of Helsing, as CNBC notes. Prima Materia has been investing in Helsing since 2021.
The band continued in their statement: “AI battle tech is clearly emerging as the hot new big ticket item for the super-rich. It’s increasingly clear that the military and police exist primarily as the security detail for the billionaire class. The more of the killing you can get computers to do, the better your bottom line. Computerized targeting, computerized extermination, computerized destabilization for profit, successfully tested on the people of Gaza, also finally solves the perennial inconvenience to war-makers–It takes human compassion and morality out of the equation.”
Deerhoof accused Spotify of “flushing itself down the toilet,” adding: “Eventually artists will want to leave this already widely hated data-mining scam masquerading as a ‘music company.’ It’s creepy for users and crappy for artists. Music-making lasts forever but this or that digital get-rich-quick scheme is sure to become obsolete.”
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