Brian Eno calls Microsoft to stop his links with Israel and donates his rights to the famous Windows 95 sound to the victims in Gaza

Brian Eno is a pioneer in ambient music, a genre that he largely contributed to defining in the 1970s. Renowned for his atmospheric and minimalist creations, he is also an influential producer who worked with David Bowie, U2 or Talking Heads. The British musician and producer takes a firm position against collaboration between Microsoft and the Israeli government. Known for having composed the famous start -up sound of Windows 95 – a sound that has become emblematic and understood by billions of users – ENO published this morning an open letter on Instagram entitled “Not in my name”.

In this poignant text, the artist denounces Microsoft’s involvement in the massacres in Gaza, and in particular his partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Defense. He deplores it that the company he was once proud to contribute is now part, in his words, “of the machinery of oppression and war”. He openly criticizes the provision of cloud services, artificial intelligence and software to an army accused of serious violations of international law.

“Selling and supporting advanced technologies to a regime committed to ethnic cleaning is not a simple commercial contract. It’s complicity “writes Eno. He cites in particular military surveillance systems nicknamed cynical, as “Where’s Daddy?”used to target Palestinian civilians in their homes. Joining the internal protest movement initiated by Microsoft employees, ENO calls for suspending any service contributing to humanitarian law violations. He invites artists, technologists, musicians and citizens to do the same.

As a sign of solidarity, he announces that he will now pay all of the rights he has received for the composition of Windows 95 sound to assistance funds in Gaza: “If a sound can announce a real change, while that is this. »» A strong gesture, which resonates far beyond the world of music, in a context where the ethical responsibility of large technological companies is increasingly questioned.