This Week’s Best New Music: Air Max ‘97, DOBBY, merci, mercy & More

It’s been a HUGE week for new indie, hip-hop and EDM releases – not only did we get fresh new tunes from some of Australia’s finest up-and-comers, like DOBBY (who just dropped Matter Of Time), merci, mercy (who blessed us with The Word Love) and Phi11a (whose SaxONLY-assisted For You is destined to be a hit), but the international heavyweights were out in full force: Porter Robinson came in hot with his wicked new banger Knock Yourself Out XD, for example, while jxdn delivered another instant classic in STRAY, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie got his fans going absolutely mental with Tiffanys.

With all of that in mind, now seems like as good a time as any to remind you – or clue you in, if you didn’t know already – that we have our very own playlist dedicated to bringing you the best new music from the underground and beyond, fittingly named Purple Sneakers’ Best New Music. We update it every Friday with more than a dozen of the brand new tracks we simply can’t get enough of, giving you the ultimate soundtrack to power your weekend.

You can listen to Purple Sneakers’ Best New Music on Spotify (here) and Apple Music (here) – and make sure to hit us up on Instagram or Facebook to let us know what songs you’ve been loving!

Here are just a few of our personal favourites from this week’s update to the playlist...

Air Max ’97 & Mulalo – Ride

WHAT HE SAYS: “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. 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 2 Fast 2 Furious, and the joy of figuring out how many dirty double entendres can be built around car terminology. Iconically, Mulalo doesn’t drive.”

DOBBY – Matter Of Time

WHAT HE SAYS: “Against the backdrop of Brewarrina's sacred Baiame's Ngunnhu, Matter Of Time echoes the ancestral rhythms, calling out the over-irrigation of the Murray-Darling Basin. Through this song, I share an urgent truth: our environment and heritage hang in the balance, reminding us it's only a matter of time until we act or lose it all to climate disaster.”

merci, mercy – The Word Love

WHAT SHE SAYS: “The Word Love is about being your own worst critic. Someone could say that you are love itself, yet you’re still hesitant to believe anything other than what you’ve told yourself you are.

“The song came about during a time last year when I was sober for a month. During this time, I asked my partner, ‘If I was a word, what word would I be?’ And without any hesitation he said the word ‘love’. I was in disbelief. The following week I had a writing session with Robby De Sa (love him) and The Word Love came to be. This song means so much to me because it reminds me that I'm loved despite what I tell myself.”

Also featured in this week’s update to Purple Sneakers’ Best New Music:

• June Jones – Looking Out For An Angel

• Porter Robinson – Knock Yourself Out XD

• Petit Biscuit and Cub Sport – I Forgot What’s Love

• Phi11a – For You (ft. SaxONLY)

• jxdn – STRAY

• STÜM – Essence Of Time

• ioakim – wishiwasyourgirlfriend

• Normani – 1:59 (ft. Gunna)

• Aitch – Famous Girl

• A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie – Tiffanys

• Eliza Rose and Peaky Beats – Lovesome

• INJI – BIG UP

• YG – KNOCKA

• Rv, Abra Cadabra and Headie One – Play For Keeps

• salute and Rina Sawayama – saving flowers

• Vallis Alps – Pulling Me Back

• Issey Cross – Energy In My Town

• Sexton – Tomato Sauce

• Harry Hayes – Everest (Stay)

• Night Tapes – projections

Listen to the full playlist on Spotify below – or head here to save/follow on Spotify, and here to save/follow on Apple Music.