Massive Attack, Kneecap, Arca, more join Israel streaming boycott

Massive Attack, Kneecap and Arca are among the early supporters of a new Israel boycott campaign, No Music For Genocide.

More than 400 artists and record labels have so far given their backing to the new initiative, which was launched this week. It’s encouraging people to block their music “from apartheid Israel as it commits genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank”.

The campaign’s main goal is to encourage musicians to contact the record labels and distributors that they work with in order to have their output geo-blocked on streaming platforms in Israel. Once those geo-block requests have been honoured, artists and record labels can contact No Music For Genocide to have their names added to the growing list of those participating in the campaign.

Among the other early backers of the campaign are Loraine James, Erika de Casier, Kelela, John Glacier, Nick León, AceMo, John FM, Mechatok, Sudan Archives, Peder Mannerfelt and Sega Bodega. Record labels such as TraTraTrax, PAN, 3XL, Motion Ward, All Centre and Amniote Editions have also pledged their support for the initiative.

Find out more about No Music For Genocide, and read the current list of participating artists and labels, via its website.

The campaign follows the Together For Palestine benefit concert, which took place earlier this week (17th September) at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, and raised over £1.5 million for the people of Gaza. More than 150 names from the worlds of music, film, television, art, politics, journalism and human rights took to the stage for the event, which was  executive produced by electronic music pioneer Brian Eno, along with Khaled Ziada, Khalid Abdalla and Tracey Seaward.

This is the latest form of boycott action against Israel, or companies that have ties to Israel, amid its ongoing military assault on Gaza. More than 50 artists withdrew from this year’s Sónar festival earlier this year due to the event’s sponsors and ties to the KKR investment firm, the parent company of its owner Superstruct Entertainment. That company has faced widespread criticism over its reported connections to Israeli tech and data firms, weapons manufacturers and defence contractors.

Multiple DJs took similar action against London’s Field Day, which is also run by Superstruct Entertainment.