Kalahari Oyster Cult pull all music from Spotify following Daniel Ek military AI investment

Dutch imprint Kalahari Oyster Cult has pulled its entire catalogue from Spotify amid news of CEO Daniel Ek's investment in a military AI tech company.

The Amsterdam-based label has removed all releases under its banner - including music from Spray, Maara, Flora FM and Fantastic Man - effective as of yesterday (July 1).

Kalahari Oyster Cult announced its intention to pull music from Spotify via Instagram last week (June 26), writing: "Admittedly, this decision is long overdue".

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"As a label, and in consultation with the artists we represent, we don’t want our music contributing to or benefiting a platform led by someone backing tools of war, surveillance, and violence," the statement continues. "Keeping our work on Spotify would mean going against everything we stand for."

Daniel Ek was revealed last month to have invested $600 million in AI military start-up firm Helsing, making the Swedish billionaire the new chairman of the company.

The Spotify founder and CEO had previously invested in Helsing via his firm Prima Materia in 2021, which specialises in military software integration, along with producing its own drones, aircrafts and submarines.

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"It’s not just about one investment," Kalahari Oyster Cult's statement continues. "The deeper issue is how little care, compensation, and respect are given to the artists who make these platforms possible in the first place".

"Spotify has built its business by underpaying and undervaluing the very people who give it life," it adds. "We’re done being part of that".

Read Kalahari Oyster Cult's full statement below and check out the label's Bandcamp, here.

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter