Nazar examines the Angolan Civil War on 'rough kuduro' debut EP for Hyperdub
- PublishedThu, Oct 11, 2018, 15:18
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- Enclave is out in November.
- Nazar is releasing his first EP on Hyperdub. On Enclave, the Angolan producer explore themes of his country's "hope, resilience and pride" in the wake of the 27-year-long Angolan Civil War, blending his style with the country's kuduro sounds—"rough kuduro," as he calls it. Nazar's music production career began after he left Belgium, where he lived for 14 years, and returned to Angola after the end of the civil war. He wanted to "leave everything behind in Europe to know his origins." The songs on Enclave reflect on crossing the border in the southeast of Angola, Nazar's mother enduring airstrikes throughout the war, and colonialism and colourism within the country. The EP's third track, "Konvoy," was featured on label boss Kode9 and Burial's series-closing Fabriclive 100 mix, and its ambient final track includes a sample of Nazar's father reading from the diary he kept as a soldier in the war. When asked if making art about his family and the civil war helped him process it, Nazar tells Resident Advisor: "Yes in a way, that helped me understand it. The civil war affected most Angolans, including my family directly, but also me, part of the Angolan diaspora, indirectly. I was born in a whole different world safely away from that violence, but that also prevented me from having a father figure. So I would always wonder and question where he was, why he wasn't around constantly." It was only after the war that he finally got to know both his father and his ancestral homeland. "Understanding Angola's history was my way, as a teenager, of forgiving my father's absence," he explains. But Nazar says he also felt "attacked" and unwelcome upon his return to Angola, and this EP is a reflection of that feeling. "My sound is a mix of the collective memories of my family," he says, "and how I felt right after being introduced to Angolan society in my early teens." Listen to previews of Enclave.Tracklist 01. South Border 02. Warning Shots 03. Airstrike feat. Shannen S P 04. Enclave 05. Konvoy 06. Ceasefire Hyperdub will release Enclave on November 16th, 2018.
- Sun, Oct 7, 2018
Unsound Festival 2018
Alva Noto, Amnesia Scanner, Andrea Belfi, Valerio Tricoli, Aquarian, Async Figure, Bartek, Bartek, Ben UFO, Bill Kouligas, biøs, Blawan, Chris Watson, Ephemera, Caterina Barbieri, Colin Self, DEBONAIR, Deena Abdelwahed, Dis Fig, DJ Bus Replacement Service, DJ Lilocox, DJ Storm, Drew McDowall, Eartheater, Elena Colombi, Olivia, Eltron, Eris Drew, Gábor Lázár, GAIKA, HDMIRROR, Huerco S, Iglooghost, Jlin, julek ploski, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Kampire, Kelman Duran, Kelly Moran, Kode9, Lena Willikens, Objekt, Linn da Quebrada, Lotic, Lucrecia Dalt, Manni Dee, Ewa Justka, Marie Davidson, MCZO & Duke, Miri Kat, Nazar, object blue, Oklou, Olof Dreijer, Tomoko Sauvage, Powder, Rabit, Ledef, House of Kenzo, House of Kenzo, Renick Bell, Rian Treanor, RP Boo, RRRKRTA, rRoxymore, Sarah Davachi, Sheepshead, Sho Madjozi, DJ LAG, Shyboi, Slikback, Sinjin Hawke, Zora Jones, Sissel Wincent, Skee Mask, Zenker Brothers, TAYHANA, Terry Riley, The Mover, Tim Hecker, We Will Fail, Christoph de Babalon, PLAL, ZULI114