Air Max '97 releases Pop heavy mixtape via DECISIONS

Air Max ‘97 is a name regularly turning heads for good reason.

From his forward thinking, often jagged approach to club bangers, the newly returned Australian local has built a career and a reputation entirely on his ability to invent. While a dogleg into pop music may, to many, not be considered a space rife for invention, Air Max ‘97’s brand new release ‘*for U’ proves that only a close-minded listener chooses to blame a genre in its entirety.

Out today on his own record label DECISIONS, featuring many of his own releases as well as DJ Plead, Cop Envy (now Big Ever) and Jikuroux among others, ‘*for U’ pokes its head out of cyberspace at a time when Australian R&B, pop and hip hop has arguably never been stronger.

Of the release, he shared: “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, ear worm, 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’, spanning across 10 tracks, is a fitting evolution for the SoundCloud mixtape of the early 2010s. Bouncing between gritty rap to progressive pop, Air Max ‘97’s credentials within the club bring an edge and polish that allows his collaborators to shine.

From the roar of opener ‘Ride’ featuring Mulalo, to playful bop and ASMR vocal debut of Cecil B, the ever-popular ode to Afropop ‘Crow Time’ featuring Atro and Sevy, and the uplifting near-house anthem ‘Eyes 2’ with Eora/Sydney faithful Imbi, Air Max demonstrates versatility not only in his own production abilities, but his taste.

Finally, ‘Ever Alone’, a simple instrumental featuring voice notes of Air Max himself humming, is intended for listeners to write and record their own vocals to complete the project. This project, as he says, is ‘*for U’ after all.

*for U is available via all streaming services today, and available to buy via the DECISIONS Bandcamp here.

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Jack Colquhoun is the Managing Editor for Mixmag Australia, follow him on Instagram.