Laura Burhenn, a musician known for her work as The Mynabirds and the Postal Service's live band, passionately discusses the fallout from Spotify's CEO Daniel Ek's $700 million investment in military AI. Her protest efforts, including viral TikTok videos, have encouraged artists like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to pull their music from the platform. Burhenn explores the ethical implications of streaming, the disconnect between artists and technology, and the urgent need for alternative, artist-friendly music platforms.
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insights INSIGHT
Streaming Concentrates Power, Not Pay
Streaming made music widely accessible but concentrated power in tech platforms and labels.
The biggest winners are not musicians, exemplified by Spotify CEO wealth versus artist pay.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Viral Protest Sparked By Ek Investment
Laura describes seeing Daniel Ek's investment in Helsing and feeling furious enough to act.
She filmed viral 'Disarm Spotify' videos and removed her catalogue in protest.
insights INSIGHT
Autonomous Weapons Raise Ethical Stakes
AI-controlled weapons and autonomous drones change the stakes, creating real ethical dangers.
Laura and Sean connect these technologies to surveillance, wrongful targeting, and expanding police-state practices.
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Have music artists finally had enough of the multi-billion dollar streaming platform?
Laura Burhenn makes music as The Mynabirds and has played in the Postal Service's live band. When she learned Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invested $700 million in military AI startup Helsing, she pulled her music and uploaded a protest monologue.
Her "Disarm Spotify" TikTok videos sparked millions of views and a wave of artist departures followed. Recent acts that have taken their music down include King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
In this episode, we're not just talking about streaming rates but getting into the wider systemic issues with music being turned into bombs.
00:00 – Musicians boycotting Spotify: the fury and the interconnected issues
04:00 – When music money becomes military funding: the Daniel Ek investment
09:00 – AI drones and the dystopian timeline we're already living
13:00 – The snowball effect: how individual protest becomes movement
18:00 – Platform alternatives: Qobuz, ethics, and where artists go next
23:00 – Releasing protest music on the platform you're protesting
27:00 – Artists participating in their own devaluation: the bigger picture
35:00 – From DC punk to Palestine solidarity: political music evolution
40:00 – Why outspoken artists stay silent about their own platforms
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