Charlotte de Witte's Azadi EP features NAVA, an AI singer meant to speak for Iranian women barred from singing in public

Charlotte de Witte’s next EP has an AI singer on it. The Belgian techno DJ previewed “Tales Of The Desert” in an Instagram reel with vocals from NAVA, an AI-generated Persian vocalist, and the track is on Azadi, a 3-track EP due in November 2026 on her label KNTXT.

All 3 tracks reportedly feature NAVA, EDMTunes reported on October 23. Azadi means “freedom” in Persian.

Who is NAVA, the AI singer on Charlotte de Witte’s Azadi EP?

NAVA was created in 2025 by British-Iranian digital artist Farbod Mehr. The project draws on Iranian art and history, and Mehr presents NAVA as a symbolic voice for Iranian women, who face restrictions on singing in public.

So the AI here is the whole point of the project, and it’s out in the open: a voice for people who aren’t allowed to use their own on a stage.

One thing none of the coverage I found explains is what NAVA’s voice was built from. The teaser doesn’t say, and neither does the reporting so far.

Why techno fans are split on Charlotte de Witte’s AI vocalist

The reaction under the teaser is mixed. Supporters see a way to get silenced voices heard. Many of the comments EDMTunes picked out question the choice of an artificial vocalist over a human one.

A Spanish-language report from The Piwke picked up the same question from followers: should a virtual artist carry that representation, instead of a real performer?

It’s an interesting split for techno, a genre built on drum machines and synths. Fans who never minded a machine playing the beat are drawing their line at the voice.

Joe Bonamassa drew a similar line earlier this month, defending artists who use Suno while objecting to AI blues singer Eddie Dalton sharing a category with living artists. The tool gets a pass, and the AI voice up front is where people stop.

Azadi follows The Resistance, a 3-track EP she put out on KNTXT in September 2026 with all proceeds going to The Nighttime Foundation.