Air Max ‘97 today presents another take on his deep-rooted love of pop and rap, with the release of his new single ‘Ride’ featuring Naarm/Melbourne based rapper Mulalo. With the track also comes the news of his forthcoming mixtape *for U, due for release on June 21 via his own imprint DECISIONS. LISTEN TO ‘RIDE’ HERE.

Following on from the heat created by ‘On My Grind’ with T Breezy and ‘Crow Time’ with Atro and Sevy earlier this year, ‘Ride’ finds Air Max ‘97 exploring a grittier side of his current stream of progressive pop, turbo charged with high-octane hooks from Mulalo. Swirling with a contemporary, confident rap production and a sound world that simultaneously evokes the luxury trance of Tiësto and hoon culture, the track shows off the collaborative dynamic of an iconic rapper-producer double threat.

“[Ride was] co-written at Fall Back studios in Naarm in one sitting. Mulalo arrived with snacks and we bonded over us both having studied new media at art school” Air Max ‘97 shares. “My Tiësto-type beat. Mulalo instantly gravitated towards the instrumental, saying “it sounds like a movie, like a cinematic car situation” Inspired by Suki from 2Fast2Furious, and the joy of figuring out how many dirty double entendres can be built around car terminology. Iconically, Mulalo doesn’t drive.”

‘Ride’ is the next single to be taken off his forthcoming mixtape *for U, due for release on June 21. A self-confessed “labour of love spanning 4 years”, the project marks a new turn for the obtuse club producer, whose reverence for pop’s ability to transcend and story-tell helped him turn a period of solitude and insomnia into a prolific songwriting streak. Homespun yet tightly honed, *for U presents a collection of genre-defying tracks that shine a light on the best rising talent from so-called Australia and beyond.

Nurturing his sound with a magnetic presence since 2014, Air Max ‘97 is no stranger to the global electronic music scene. With a career that has gone from from strength to strength, Air Max ‘97 has toured Europe, Asia and North America extensively, formed joint projects with SCAM as Loppy B and A2A with Aya, featured on Kelela’s Hallucinogen Remixes EP, performed at Boiler Room in Paris and launched his own record label DECISIONS, home to a collection of his own releases as well as the likes of DJ Plead, Cop Envy, Jikuroux amongst others.

Praised as “one of the most inventive artists in club music” (Mixmag) and “one of the most quietly creative producers in this techno-not-techno world” (Resident Advisor), *for U will not only keep up with Air Max ‘97’s soft spot for leftfield arrangements and experimentation, but serve up a refreshing taste on forms of pop and hip-hop.