Scottish electronic duo denounces White House for using their song without permission

The Trump administration has again helped itself to an artist’s work without asking. This time the music belongs to Boards of Canada, a reclusive Scottish electronic duo whose new album arrived Friday.

The White House social media accounts posted a 15-second video Thursday showing windblown American flags, a Border Patrol boat, what appears to be a detention center, and a helicopter on the White House lawn. The footage was degraded to look like old VHS tape. The soundtrack: “Deep Time,” a track from Boards of Canada’s first album in 13 years.

The duo’s label, Warp Records, issued a one-sentence statement Friday: “Warp Records and Boards of Canada do not condone the unauthorised use of their music for political messaging.”

The video’s only caption was a shifty-eyes emoji. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

This follows a pattern. The president has a long history of playing songs at rallies without permission, and his administration has continued the practice. The list of objecting artists includes Adele, the Rolling Stones, Celine Dion, Neil Young, the Foo Fighters, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and the estate of Sinéad O’Connor, among others.

Some of those disputes have reached federal court. The estate of Isaac Hayes sued the Trump campaign last year over “Hold On, I’m Coming” and reached a settlement in February. Eddy Grant won a summary judgment in September over Trump’s use of “Electric Avenue” in a political video.

Boards of Canada, consisting of brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin, has been active since 1986. The duo rarely gives interviews and has not performed live since 2001. Their music draws heavily on childhood memories, 1970s media artifacts, and analog equipment. Their fifth studio album, “Inferno,” was released recently.

Fans who spotted the video reacted swiftly. Comments beneath the White House post included pleas for the duo to file copyright claims and stronger language directed at the administration.

The video also mimicked the duo’s visual style, which often employs degraded tape aesthetics. Boards of Canada distributed their first single from the new album to fans on an actual VHS tape.

The administration has not explained who selected the music or whether anyone sought permission. The White House did not answer whether it possessed a license for the track.

Boards of Canada join a list now exceeding four dozen musical acts who have publicly objected to the president’s unlicensed use of their work.

ABBA, Earth Wind & Fire, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, Metallica, Nickelback, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Prince’s estate, R.E.M., and Semisonic all objected to Trump’s unauthorized use of their music.

Beyoncé, Jack White, Eddy Grant, and Isaac Hayes’ estate filed lawsuits or cease-and-desist orders; Brendon Urie, Bruce Springsteen, Jess Glynne, John Fogerty, Johnny Marr, Kenny Loggins, Olivia Rodrigo, Pharrell Williams, Sabrina Carpenter, and Woodkid publicly condemned the practice, with some calling the administration’s videos “evil,” “fascist,” or “hateful propaganda.”

The White House has not indicated it will stop.