Boiler Room issues statement concerning new owners Superstruct/KKR
Boiler Room has released a statement clarifying its stance on Palestine amid concerns about the activities of KKR, the parent company of its new owner Superstruct Entertainment.
Published via social media yesterday (March 25), the statement titled “On ownership” details the dance music streaming platform’s position on its acquisition, claiming staff don’t hold “any ownership or voting rights in the company, and had no control over the sale.
Boiler Room was sold by DICE to festival and events giant Superstruct in January, ahead of which it claims its former owner “held 100%” of the company. “We are also unable to divest because we have no say in our ownership,” the statement continues.
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The statement comes following weeks of boycott calls and withdrawals by artists from Boiler Room and other Superstruct-owned events due to parent company KKR’s alleged investments in weapon manufacturing, the controversial Coastal GasLink Pipeline and Israeli companies that operate in Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Yesterday, London-based DJ and producer Ikonika pulled out of a performance at Boiler Room’s London festival this summer citing KKR’s alleged investments, writing on Instagram: “In light of this, I will no longer be performing at the event and urge my peers on the lineup to reconsider appearing. I will always stand in solidarity with the Palestinians and Indigenous people across the globe,” they continue.”
Paris-based DJ and label boss Beatrice M. shared the post via Instagram stories yesterday, adding: “I did the same for Boiler Room Paris. I stand with this!”
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In its statement, Boiler Room insisted that its commitment to “editorial independence and Palestine has never wavered,” despite its new ownership. “No investor, past or present, has ever influenced our output, this will never change,” it adds.
“We will always remain unapologetically pro-Palestine,” the statement continues. “We continue to adhere to BDS and PACBI guidelines regarding artist programming and brand partnerships and engage with Palestinian artists and organisers in order to formalise our internal policies in line with this commitment. We uphold international law and human rights for all, regardless of identity.”
Last month, Palestinian aid charity The Sameer Project said it would not accept funds raised from Boiler Room’s fundraising collaboration with FC Palestina due to its ownership by KKR, telling Ravers For Palestine: “While the money raised would help greatly, we can’t compromise our ethics and values.”
The fundraiser had featured a sports jersey with “Palestine” written below Boiler Room and FC Palestina’s logos — at the time of writing, the jersey is so longer available via Boiler Room’s merch store in the UK.
You can read Boiler Room’s full statement regarding its new ownership below.
Megan Townsend Is Mixmag’s Deputy Editor, follow her on Twitter
