In the vibrant landscape of contemporary music, Milan Ring emerges as a beacon of creative autonomy and sonic innovation. Her latest album, "MANGOS," is a testament to her artistic fluidity, capturing moments of introspection and joy with a playful yet profound touch. "MANGOS" stands out not only for its musicality but also for its thematic depth. A personal chronicle, a journey from the exhilarating beginnings of a relationship to its nuanced complexities. It's like a summer love - capturing the essence of fleeting moments and evolving emotions.

As a multi-instrumentalist and producer, Milan Ring effortlessly blends analogue warmth with digital precision. Her compositions range from organic, live-jammed pieces to meticulously produced tracks, each imbued with a distinct energy and charm. "MANGOS" is not just an album; it's a testament to the power of artistic expression and the beauty of embracing one's unique voice. As she continues to evolve and redefine her sound, Milan Ring remains a force to be reckoned with—a visionary artist leaving an indelible mark on the global music scene.

"MANGOS" (Deluxe Edition) is out now via Astral People Recordings. including new single ‘More Love’, and previously unreleased demos and instrumentals.

How do you navigate other musical influences to create a sound that is distinctly your own?

When I am writing, I try to enter the space with a clean slate with no specific reference or genre in mind and just follow my ears and intuition. I suppose I usually just end up with a kind of soup of a lot of my influences haha.

"MANGOS" has been a significant release for you. Can you share the creative process behind this album and what themes you explored?

The album was very much about me being playful and silly, both with my production and songwriting, and not taking the whole process too seriously. I wanted to just flow through the year and document it, almost like a journal entry, a scrapbook of thoughts and feelings. I created the album from summer to summer and that kept the project glued into this concept of a summer love. The first half of the album is very much in that honeymoon stage of a relationship, the initial spark and meeting someone new, and then when you get halfway and flip the vinyl you enter this new realm, rose-coloured glasses are off, and the question of ‘are we going to work through this or let it go?’ is posed.

You’ve collaborated with a wide range of artists, from DRAM to Sampa The Great. How have these collaborations influenced your music and artistic growth?

With collaboration it is always good to just see how other people work and approach things, it really opens my eyes up to different possibilities and different combinations of ideas. I really enjoy producing for other artists for that reason also, being able to be more of a conduit for their expression, and serving the artist and the song beyond my own taste and initial ideas. Pushing to find that thing, it’s almost like a puzzle sometimes, you have all of the pieces and you just need to find where they fit into the bigger picture.

Duality and personal evolution are recurring themes in your work. How do these concepts manifest in your music, particularly in "MANGOS"?

I sometimes wish I could stop ha but I am constantly self-analysing and looking within, trying to understand and unpack things and trying my best to be my best and to grow. My first album “I’m Feeling Hopeful” very much dug into those themes, during a time of great growth, but in Mangos, I didn’t really set out to do that, I wanted to be a bit more candid and silly, but me being me, I ended up with a few subtle messages throughout, being present, connecting with nature, pushing past fears, and giving the love that you want to receive.

As a multi-instrumentalist and producer, how do you balance the use of analogue and digital elements in your music?

For me it is quite intuitive and I usually set out to serve the song the best I can, so some songs may be more heavily leaning in one direction or the other. For example in Leo and Rover Flows, I collaborated with afro latin band OYOBI and we created the songs by jamming together live, so it delivered a more organic sound than say Mangos or Quicksand which are more produced concepts from me mainly sitting in my studio alone. But I suppose even when I do lean more into the more produced and electronic world my guitars weave their way in and I still have those live and dynamic elements coming through.

Your live performances are known for their energy and innovation. How do you prepare for these shows and what do you aim to convey to your audience?

First thing I do to prepare for a performance is to sit down with a pen and paper and visualise the flow of the performance, the tone of each song and what elements I wish to direct the most attention to in the performance. I might have guitar or vocal looping in one song, I might tap out the beat and show the production side of things in another and sometimes I feel the best thing to do is to just sing and move, so it is a balancing act in some ways, especially when I am doing the one woman show and I want it to be as engaging and dynamic as possible but not give myself a ridiculous amount to do at once with my four limbs haha.

You have a diverse cultural background and have traveled extensively. How have these experiences shaped your music and the stories you tell through your songs?

I mean I guess all life experiences shape my music and storytelling, whether that be travelling or just being out with friends, meeting people and hearing their stories. I think being a creative, every moment is a possible opportunity to find inspiration. So I do love to travel and to be immersed in different cultures, learn different styles of music, and naturally my Chinese and Indian heritage weaves it’s way in also, but I guess I have that mixed race experience of belonging nowhere and everywhere in a sense, and that is a kind of inspiration in itself.

Spirituality seems to be a significant influence in your artistry. How does it play a role in your creative process and music production?

For me, spirituality in music means presence and flow, so keeping that energy throughout the composition and then into the performance is important to me. I believe people can then feel that in the music and ideally, it will allow them to feel present and be free of themselves, even if just for a moment.

Looking ahead, what new directions or projects can your fans look forward to from you?

I am excited to start working on album 3, I have learnt alot over the last few years and am definitely at my strongest songwriting and production-wise and most confident, I have also just moved to Berlin and I feel very inspired and energised in this city so it is a new and exciting era for me!

You’ve built your career with a strong sense of independence and control over your work. What advice would you give to emerging artists who wish to maintain creative autonomy?

My advice would be to take your time and build teams of people you trust and who are aligned with you and your vision, and until you find those right people do as much of everything you can yourself as it will always help to know as much about the industry as possible and continue to lead your journey regardless of who joins your team.

Can you share any behind-the-scenes stories or memorable moments from the making of "MANGOS"?

When I was voice-recording my friends! Ha. I was like “hey how would you feel if I recorded our chat now and maybe found some moments to sample in the album?” with the disclaimer that I of course wouldn’t leak this whole conversation of them talking about their exes haha. I am so grateful for my friendships and they are the most consistent and wonderful forms of love in my life, so what better way than to get their perspectives on love itself? I sliced up three voice memo’s from the conversations and they perfectly flowed with the album too, one was about the initial spark of meeting someone, one was about when you try to look past the issues that arise and the last was about love changing but not necessarily ending.

How do you see your music evolving in the next five years, and what legacy do you hope to leave in the R&B music scene?

I have always crossed genres and blurred lines with the music that I make, I have a bunch of songs truer to the alt R&B space and have been proud to be part of that very small genre and scene in Australia, and to see how far it has come and grown in the last few years. I also think though alot of my best works lean more into the alternative pop, indie and electronic spaces so I am looking forward to making new music and seeing where I go next!

LISTEN TO MANGOS HERE
MORE FROM MILAN HERE

Creative Direction
+ interview
Reem Elnour

PhotographY
Jade D’Amico

StylING
Lynn Mathuthu

Muse
Milan Ring

MUA
Felicity Smith

Editor
Simone Taylor

Styling Assist
Rebecca Hong

Assist
Valentina Saldouzi

MILAN WEARS: FAITHFUL Dress and Top / OROTON Tulip Brooch / OROTON Tulip Necklace / CLAU.DMINA Jacket / MILAN’S OWN Rings | FAITHFUL dress / PEIYI lavender necklace | CLAU.DMINA dress and sleeves / DINOSAUR DESIGNS Earring