Austrian-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Maria Neckam, aka Milán, has been a long-time AudioFemme favorite. We’re thrilled to premiere her latest artistic creation, an EP titled Time, that is a sonically beautiful creation demonstrative of Milán‘s abilities to create songs about morbid subjects that you also want to dance to, akin to post-punk masterminds such as The Cure and Siouxsie Sioux. Coming from the soul of Milán, it’s steeped in modern internal struggles and dressed up in a glorious tutu. Also the name of one of the songs and a theme throughout the EP, of the title selection, she tells AudioFemme: “It’s about the question: ‘When is the right time?” – and how to find out.”
While those questions are a burden each individual is left to carry, putting on Milán’s EP will make the contemplation all the more enjoyable. Both industrial and eclectic, the EP is perfect for brooding electronic fans. “I would like to inspire my listeners to reflect upon what they can do, in their own lives, to make their environment a better one, and what kind of choices they are making each day. A change in one person’s heart will create a ripple effect of change. I want people to become more aware of their own power,” says Milán.
The title track, “Time,” was inspired by a family member’s incurable lung disease diagnosis. About never giving up, “Now, is time, to fight my friend!” the song orders. After succeeding in raising huge sums of donations, Milán’s friend survived. Yet it also gets political. “The song ‘Time’ deals with the issue of nuclear power, and of politicians forgetting about their duty to serve the people, instead of the other way around,” she says. “Motivated by the desire for power and financial gain, decisions are made that have a life-changing impact on millions of people’s lives. As citizens of this world, I believe it is imperative that we stand up and fight such injustice, for the sake of all humanity.”
The EP’s release also accompanies a raw and riveting music video for “Split Second,” a song Milán penned for a friend lost too soon named Abbey. “I wanted to express the feeling that we are still connected, and my gratitude for having shared a piece of life with her,” she says. Even if you didn’t know Abbey, you know someone, or perhaps yourself, that grapples with the stigma-ridden cage of mental health issues. “Here in the west, we have more opportunities than ever, and a better life quality than in most places of the world, and still there is so much anxiety, loneliness and depression,” she says. “I believe that much of this comes from a lack of communication and real, meaningful connection between people. We tend to forget that we all need each other.”
We do need one another, so hit up that friend that’s been on your mind and enjoy Time together. As for her answer on when the right time is? “The conclusion I came to is that we ourselves have to create that time, the “right” time. It is the moment we make up our minds. When we decide to stand up and fight – for our own happiness (to live the life we imagine for ourselves), for justice, for a peaceful society that respects the dignity and value of each person’s life,” says Milán.
Fuck yeah. Stream the EP in its entirety below.
