Helsing responds to “misinformation” surrounding its activities after Massive Attack becomes latest band to pull music from SpotifyMassive Attack have become the latest band to announce their departure from Spotify in response to the AI military investments of CEO Daniel Ek.
The Bristol-based trip-hop band issued a statement last week announcing the move, while also revealing they’ve joined No Music For Genocide, a collective of over 400 artists and labels who have blocked their music from streaming services in Israel.

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In a post on social media, the band wrote: “In support of the No Music For Genocide initiative, Massive Attack have made a formal request to our record label (Universal Music Group) that our music be removed from all DSP streaming services in the territory of Israel.”
They added: “Unconnected to this initiative and in light of the (reported) significant investments by its CEO in a company producing military munition drones and AI technology integrated into fighter aircraft, Massive Attack have made a separate request to our label that our music be removed from the Spotify streaming service in all territories.”
The band also added: “In the separate case of Spotify, the economic burden that has long been placed on artists is now compounded by a moral and ethical burden, whereby the hard-earned money of fans and the creative endeavours of musicians ultimately fund lethal, dystopian technologies. Enough is more than enough. Another way is possible.

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Massive Attack join a growing list of artists who have removed their music from Spotify, including Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.
Spotify and Helsing – the AI military company of which Daniel Ek is an investor and chairman – have since responded to Massive Attack’s statement, hoping to correct what they call “misinformation” surrounding Helsing’s activities.
“Currently we see misinformation spreading that Helsing’s technology is deployed in war zones other than Ukraine,” Helsing writes on its website. “This is not correct. Our technology is deployed to European countries for deterrence and for defence against the Russian aggression in Ukraine only.”
The official Spotify for Artists Instagram page has also commented on Massive Attack’s post, writing: “Hi, Joe here from Spotify. I want to clarify a few things. Spotify and Helsing are two totally separate companies. And while I can’t speak for Helsing, I’m well aware they’re not involved in Gaza.
“I know because I had the same questions myself, and asked. Helsing’s efforts are focused on Europe defending itself in Ukraine. If you want to talk about Spotify and royalty payouts, happy to have a conversation. Thank you for hearing me out.”
As it stands, Massive Attack’s music is still available on Spotify. The group’s latest album, Heligoland, arrived in 2010.
The post Helsing responds to “misinformation” surrounding its activities after Massive Attack becomes latest band to pull music from Spotify appeared first on MusicTech.

Daniel Gergely releases free version of Spirals pitch-shifting delay plugin
Daniel Gergely has updated Spirals, his creative pitch-shifting delay plugin, introducing a new free version alongside an improved preset browser and a host of performance upgrades. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because we covered the free beta of Spirals back in 2022. The concept was promising even then, but it’s come a long way [...]
View post: Daniel Gergely releases free version of Spirals pitch-shifting delay plugin

21 Musicians Who Made It After 30Does age matter in music? Here are 22 musicians, including Sia, Rachel Platten, Bonnie Raitt, Louie Armstrong, who made it after the age of 30.

Traditional economies are being 'sunset,' in favor of the internet — VCBlockchain, artificial intelligence, and online platforms are the future of commerce as the world moves to an internet-first economy.

A Serial Mouse for a Homebrew 8-bit Computer[Too Many Wires] has a custom computer he’s building. He wanted a mouse, but USB is a bit of a stretch for the fledgling computer. We might have opted for PS/2, but he went for something even older: a serial mouse connected with a DE-9 (colloquially, a DB-9). Check it out in his recent video update on the project below.
Don’t remember serial mice? They were very common many years ago, and apparently, you can still buy new ones, which makes you wonder what people are doing with them. If you are an old hand at serial, you’ll immediately know why he couldn’t get it to work at first. If you haven’t worked with RS-232 gear before, you’ll learn a lot.
The protocol is simple enough, and you can read the code or find plenty of old documents. He’s using a UART chip, which offloads the CPU. However, the PS/2 mice are very easy to work with directly, and you could skip the +/- 12V RS-232 and other issues.
Either way, however, using an RS-232 or PS/2 mouse in a project is relatively straightforward. You might not think you need a mouse, but don’t forget, they are really accurate two-axis sensors. An optical mouse on a motion table, for example, could be worth something.
The computer is based on [Ben Eater]’s design, if you want more details on that. Can’t decide between RS-232 and PS/2? You don’t have to.

Trump says Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch might invest in TikTok dealThe Trump administration has been talking up a potential TikTok deal this weekend, with President Donald Trump telling Fox News on Sunday that Rupert Murdoch and his son Lachlan are "probably" going to be involved.

23DSP releases FREE 23MS-ED Mid/Side Encoder/Decoder plugin (open beta)
23MS-ED is a free stereo tool that allows you to process the mid and side channels independently. The plugin is available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS and Windows, and you can download it directly from the developer’s Gumroad profile after entering a value of €0 or greater. Apple users will encounter the familiar [...]
View post: 23DSP releases FREE 23MS-ED Mid/Side Encoder/Decoder plugin (open beta)

KAGE Music launch free KG Series plug-in suite KAGE Music have introduced the KG Series, a collection of free, analogue-inspired audio plug-ins aimed at lowering barriers for music creators.

Film - TV - Theater - Games: DropsMercury Studios has announced the Blu-ray release of Peter Gabriel: Taking the Pulse, which drops on October 10 and captures the former Genesis front man’s powerful performance with the New Blood Orchestra. Filmed at the historic Arena di Verona in Italy in 2010 and directed by Anna Gabriel, the concert features Gabriel performing songs from his album New Blood with bold orchestral reinterpretations of his beloved songs, arranged by John Metcalfe. With 50 musicians, vocalists Melanie Gabriel and Ane Brun, and a striking visual backdrop, the film showcases Gabriel’s enduring artistry through a dramatic, reimagining of his most popular songs. Get it at store.mercurystudios.co.Depeche Mode’s concert film Depeche Mode: M will receive a limited theatrical and IMAX release beginning on October 28 and following the film’s Tribeca premiere earlier in the year. Directed by Fernando Frías de la Parra (Oscar-nominated I’m No Longer Here), the documentary captures the band’s three sold-out Mexico City performances to more than 200,000 fans at Estadio GNP Seguros during the English electronic group’s Memento Mori Tour in 2023. Released through Sony Music Vision and Trafalgar Releasing, the film screened in more than 2,500 theaters worldwide. Blending live performance with cultural storytelling, Depeche Mode: M examines music, mortality and Mexican death traditions, while celebrating the musical legacy of the band. Find out if the film will be showing near you at depechemodem.com. GRAMMY Award-winning composer Carla Patullo released her new album Nomadica, inviting listeners into a “dreamlike realm of memory and music.” Influenced by the loss of her mother, Patullo crafted an entrancing soundscape of ethereal vocals, orchestral swells and electronic pulses, while weaving in recordings of trains, water, and wind. Featuring contributions from Martha Mooke, Lorenza Ponce, Leah Coloff, Tonality choir, Martha Wainwright, Frederika Krier, and the Scorchio Quartet, this album is a musical journey through grief and healing, and a meditation on love and connection. For more information, contact Sarah Roche at sarah@whitebearpr.com.T-65b Records has released the Original Game Soundtrack for Giant Squid’s Sword of the Sea, featuring music by award-winning composer Austin Wintory. Departing from his lush orchestral and global folk styles, Wintory crafted a score centered on solo piano and children’s choir, with solo strings contributed by cellist Tina Guo, custom Native American drone flutes and winds by Kristin Naigus, men’s choir, and electronics. As in all Giant Squid titles, the score is dynamic and adapts to gameplay, underscoring an atmospheric surfing adventure that explores humanity’s relationship with nature. It’s inspired by classic skateboarding and snowboarding games. Contact Chris Galasso at chris@whitebearpr.com for further details. FX and Hollywood Records has released Alien: Earth (Original Soundtrack), created by Emmy-winning composer Jeff Russo (Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, The Last Rodeo) as the musical companion to the first of the sci-fi horror Alien franchise to take place on Earth. Russo brought in new musical textures while honoring the franchise’s earlier two scores, sustaining the haunting tension of the original film—the Ridley Scott creation released in 1979—while channeling the momentum of the second film. Russo used voices with acoustic instruments to humanize the score, which he said was to find the connection between alien, human and hybrid, amplifying the series’ high-stakes narrative of survival and terror on Earth. For more information, contact Chris Galasso at chris@whitebearpr.com.The post Film - TV - Theater - Games: Drops first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Crypto ready for 'up only' mode once US TGA hits $850B target: Arthur HayesLiquidity is set to flow into private financial markets once the United States Treasury fills its General Account with $850 billion.

White House offers more details about potential TikTok dealThe White House press secretary said Americans will hold six of seven board seats in the restructured TikTok, and the video app’s algorithm will be U.S.-controlled.

Venus Climate Orbiter Akatsuki’s Mission Has EndedJapan’s Venus Climate Orbiter Akatsuki was launched on May 21, 2010, and started its active mission in 2015 after an initial orbital insertion failure. Since that time, Akatsuki has continuously observed Venus from orbit until issues began to crop up in 2024 when contact was lost in April of that year due to attitude control issues. Japan’s space agency, JAXA, has now announced that the mission has officially ended on September 18, 2025, after a period of trying to coax the spacecraft back into some level of functionality again.
The Akatsuki spacecraft in 2010 before its launch. (Credit: JAXA)
The Akatsuki spacecraft had six instruments, consisting of cameras covering the visible spectrum, ultraviolet and infrared spectra, as well as an oscillator for radio occultation experiments.
All primary mission goals were successfully completed in April of 2018, but engineers determined Akatsuki was capable of lasting at least another few years. This puts it well past its original design lifespan, and has provided us with much more scientific data than we could have hoped for.
Unfortunately, the shutdown of Akatsuki represents the end of the last active Venus mission, with much uncertainty surrounding any potential upcoming mission to Earth’s near-twin planet. The next potential mission is the Venus Life Finder, as an atmospheric mission penciled in for a 2026 launch. It would take at least until 2028 for a potential orbiter mission to launch, so for the foreseeable future Venus will be left alone, without its artificial moon that has kept it company for a decade.

Revealed Recordings Revealed Diva Keys Vol. 2Revealed Diva Keys Vol. 2 is a collection of 80 presets to bring your melodies to life with rich expression. From lush analog keys and soulful organs to punchy house chords and futuristic rave stabs, each preset captures the warmth and richness Diva is known for while pushing into fresh, modern territory. Additionally, every preset contains modwheel control assignments for intuitive modulation options. With Diva Keys Vol. 2, you gain a versatile suite of source sounds to elevate your productions across House, Dance Pop, Techno, Progressive, Synthwave, and Trance. Reveal Yourself. Revealed Diva Keys Vol. 2 - Details KEY [80]. 80 presets Core synthesizer patch mapping and programming All presets assigned intuitive modwheel parameters. Preset format(s): .h2p Note: Presets Require Full Retail Version of u-he's Diva 1.5 or later Approx. 7.66MB Compressed .zip download. Read More

Artists in DSP MYON 1.1 Reverb Plugin is FREE for BPB readers until September 22
Artists in DSP has released version 1.1 of MYON, a unique recursive reverb plugin for macOS and Windows. To celebrate the update, the plugin is available for free until September 22. Just use the code MYONBPB at checkout. To clarify, you’ll be asked to enter any amount on the product page before proceeding to checkout. [...]
View post: Artists in DSP MYON 1.1 Reverb Plugin is FREE for BPB readers until September 22

Dezert Audio releases Freq-2, a premium Kontakt instrument built from a rare analog synth collection
Dezert Audio has released Freq-2 ($200), a vintage synth-inspired sample instrument for Kontakt and Kontakt Player. Subscribe to Dezert Audio’s newsletter to get $50 off. Freq-2 is a sample-based instrument with some of the most inspiring production-ready synth presets I’ve heard recently, all captured in high detail and packed into a neat Kontakt interface. The [...]
View post: Dezert Audio releases Freq-2, a premium Kontakt instrument built from a rare analog synth collection