The German DJ and electronic music producer Skee Mask has removed its catalog from the music streaming giant Spotify.
Last year, Skee Mask released its album Pool physically and digitally, with no streaming platforms.
He used social media to share his reasons for removing his music, citing that Spotify was donating his money to "developing warfare" rather than "real advancement in the music business".
"It's done, all of my shit is off Spotify," wrote Skee Mask. "I have nothing against streaming in general, it's one of many ways to make music even more accessible! For me, it's about how much / less the makers behind the music get in terms of value, respect or space. I am aware of this fact that almost every (large) streaming company these days plays the game similar to Spotify, but that's not the point. "
Skee Mask's statement concludes with the statement that he will make his music available on the platform again "as soon as (Spotify) (somehow) starts to be honest and respectful of musicians".
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's European investment company, Prima Materia, announced a massive € 100 million investment to fund Helsing, an AI-based security company that aims to "protect liberal democracies".
"We believe that software – and artificial intelligence in particular – will be the key to protecting liberal democracies from harm," says Helsing's website. "Our goal is to achieve global technology leadership in real-time information processing and to transform unstructured sensor data into information advantages for democratic governments."
Dario Zenker, manager of the Munich record label Ilian Tape, confirmed the removal of the entire catalog from the imprint, which includes music by Skee Mask, Stenny and Katatonic Silentio. The label's music can be found on Bandcamp and their website.
