Nazar – Demilitarize
Demilitarize sees Nazar trade the harsh sonic terrain of the Angolan Civil War for more delicate reflections on illness, love, and resilience
On his debut album Guerilla, Nazar combined field recordings with ‘rough Kuduro’ – his hybrid version of Angola’s upbeat dance music – as a way of processing his experience of growing up in the aftermath of the Angolan Civil War. Although Demilitarize sees the Amsterdam-based producer retreat from those battle lines, he continues to push his club-derived soundscapes into uncharted territories.
Shedding the armour he’s forged throughout his lifetime as a form of protection against the weight of inherited trauma, there’s a newfound vulnerability to Nazar’s sound. 'Freedom comes at a cost', he sings on Anticipate, his voice phasing in and out, as if laboring on the brink of exhaustion. It sets the tone for an album that reflects a journey of self-discovery hampered by illness.
During the COVID pandemic, Nazar became seriously ill when the latent tuberculosis he developed whilst living in Angola resurfaced. His submerged vocals mirror this struggle, as lyrics percolate through thick layers of reverb before dissolving like shapes on water. However, there’s a quiet tenderness to tracks like Mantra and Safe that points towards a more hopeful future. Yet, as DMZ closes the album, that peace feels increasingly like a fragile armistice rather than a lasting resolution.
Listen to: Anticipate, War Games, DMZ