Some of the biggest names in music are teaming up to protest the use of music in torture practices by the US military.

Trip-hoppers Massive Attack, British indie outfit Elbow and US American political heavyweights Rage Against The Machine have lent their name to British legal charity Reprieve. Together, they’re urging US military interrogators to stop blasting music by the likes of AC/DC, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen and Britney Spears at “deafening” volumes, in an attempt to “break” detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. As the current representatives of 33 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Reprieve says that despite the United Nations banning the practice, their project (titled ‘Zero dB’) needs artists’ support.

“The Bush Administration likes to paint this as harmless, like a prisoner being given an iPod,” says Director Clive Stafford Smith. “That is torture. That is nothing but torture,” singer/songwriter David Gray agrees. “It doesn't matter what the music is – it could be Tchaikovsky's finest or it could be Barney the Dinosaur. It really doesn't matter, it's going to drive you completely nuts.”

Other artists supporting the push include The Magic Numbers and James Lavelle of UNKLE, alongside UK comedian Bill Bailey and the UK Musicians' Union, which represents more than 30,000 musicians.