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 Naarm-based rapper 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.