Barely out of his teens, 96 Back has spent the last three years turning heads with music that’s as evocative as it is intricate. Prodigiously talented and with UK rave history in his blood — he’s the son of legendary Sheffield promoter Matthew Swift and studied under the tutelage of hometown hero Liam O’Shea — he cut his teeth with releases on Central Processing Unit, Hypercolour and Happy Skull, while also collaborating with like-minded souls such as Skee Mask, Happa and Henzo.
9696 Dream is the first of three releases due from 96 Back on Local Action this year, a 10-track record of new material that plays as a continuous 31 minutes and introduces an audio language of sorts that flows through all three releases. Honing in on the dreamier side of 96 Back’s music, 9696 Dream closes on ‘Friend Moment’ — a touching collaboration with one of his oldest friends, Joe Paisan.