Soccer96

An eclectic synth and drum duo who specialize in a heady blend of jazz, prog, and electronica, London’s Soccer96 is the creation of Danalogue (Dan Leavers) and Betamax (Max Hallett), both of whom also play with electro-jazz/Afro-beat trio the Comet Is Coming. The hard-to-classify act nod to hip-hop, post-punk, and funk on releases like 2021′s Dopamine and 2022′s Inner Worlds.
In addition to their work together and with TCIC, both artists have busy professional lives: Leavers performs alongside Henry Wu, Scratcha DVA, and Rozi Plain, and produces albums for Flamingods, Snapped Ankles, and Ibibio Sound Machine, while Hallett also plays in Super Best Friends Club and Hot Head Show, and sits in with the likes of Sons of Kemet and the Boredoms, just to name a few. The project began to take shape in 2012 with the release of the duo’s acclaimed eponymous debut LP. A bevy of high-profile performances followed, along with a collaboration with Can frontman Damo Suzuki. In 2016, after issuing a handful of singles and remixes, the pair dropped their sophomore full-length, As Above So Below, on Slowfoot. The album drew from influences such as Silver Apples, This Heat, and Flying Lotus. 2018 follow-up Rewind nodded to the beat tape aesthetic, featuring heavy tape saturation and analog mixing. Moving to Moshi Moshi Records, Soccer96 collaborated with vocalist and saxophonist Alabaster DePlume on 2020′s Tactics EP. Fourth full-length Dopamine appeared in 2021, with guest vocalists Salami Rose Joe Louis and Nuha Ruby Ra each appearing on one song. Another collaboration-heavy release, 2022′s Inner Worlds, featured songs co-written by Rozi Plain, the Colours That Rise, and bassist Tom Herbert (Polar Bear, the Invisible). ~ James Christopher Monger & Paul Simpson