Air Max ‘97 has just released his latest mixtape, *for U via his own label, DECISIONS. This mixtape, described as a “labour of love spanning 4 years”, marks a new direction for the producer, focusing on emotional, vocal-led songwriting. Beginning life in the lonesome insomniac drift of lockdown and evolving through the electrifying chemistry of studio linkups, *for U presents a cross-genre collection of tracks that illuminates the best-rising talent from so-called Australia and beyond.
Moving smoothly between gritty rap and progressive pop, *for U showcases Air Max ‘97’s skill in blending DIY sounds with collaborative songwriting. “It reflects my deep-rooted love of pop and rap that stretches back to childhood. As much as I love crafting nasty club gear for a niche of a niche, pop has always been a monolith I’ve admired from afar for its ability to transcend contexts, bring people together, earworm, storytell, etc. It has been a puzzle I’ve been slowly trying to solve (in my own imperfect way) since 2018. Also, the chemistry of a successful collaborative studio dynamic is unlike anything else, a high. Hearing an artist’s vocal on one of my beats for the very first time is a magical, mind blowing experience every time.”
*for U includes 10 tracks, from the fast-paced ‘Ride’ with Mulalo, to the ASMR vocal debut of Cecil B. DeMille in ‘It’s OK’. There’s the smooth summer-rap ‘Crow Time’ with Atro and Sevy, and the bright ‘On My Grind’ with T Breezy. The second half has more personal tracks like ‘Eyes 2’ with imbi and the reflective ‘Yuba’ with DÆMON. There’s also ‘Cellyphone’ with London artist Don Sinini and ‘House Cat’ with LA-based Sally Spitz. The last track, ‘Ever Alone’, is an instrumental with voice notes from Air Max ‘97, inviting listeners to add their own vocals.
Highlighting ‘stadium ballad energy’ and recorded at Melbourne’s Fall Back Studios during the same weekend as ‘Ride’, today’s spotlight is on ‘Keepsake’ with daine and John Floreani. This track speaks to cherished connections: daine’s cosmic perspective and John’s tender, everyday gestures. Air Max ‘97 recalls, “I played daine a dozen beats and they didn’t vibe any. There was an acoustic guitar in the studio, they picked it up and started strumming some chords. I quickly set up the mic and recorded them, put the chords on loop, and started adding drums. Meanwhile daine wrote lyrics and within two hours we had the completed demo. daine is a longtime John Floreani fan, said that Trophy Eyes (JF’s band) “saved their life”, and managed to call in the feature. John’s vocals bring me back to my inner 16-year-old indie bopper. They complete the track.”
Lauded 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 stays true to Air Max ‘97’s love for experimental arrangements and offers a fresh take on pop and hip-hop.
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Photos by Elliot Lauren
