Musicians file FOIA request seeking music used in torture

Dozens of high-profile musicians on Thursday demanded the release of song titles that were played repetitively as a coercive interrogation technique at Guantanamo Bay and signed onto a public records request filed by the National Security Archive, the Washington Post reported.

Current and former band members of Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails and the Roots signed the NSA’s request, which was sent to numerous government agencies, including the CIA, FBI and the Department of Defense, The New York Times reported.

The musicians have also launched a formal protest against the use of music in torture — a technique that involves blasting songs for hours or days to coerce cooperation from prisoners. Pres. Obama banned this technique and others during his second day in office.

Thursday’s protests were part of a broader coalition of veterans and lawmakers that seek to hold Obama accountable for his promise to close Guantanamo Bay during his first year in office.

"The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me," Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello said in a statement to the Post.