96mm consists of only two members: Ryan Pieratt and Zachary Champagne. The two began working on the project in the early sprinkles of summer, the month of May. Zack lived in a different part of the country than Ryan, but the two shared a friendship when both lived in the same area of Chicagoland, in Illinois. Zack now lives in Newark, Delaware, while Ryan still resides in Batavia, Illinois. During the summer, Zack takes little vacations out to Illinois to visit friends, and just hang out, and sees Ryan as well. But when Ryan and Zack get together, it is not an informal stay. In early 1998, when Zack went out to Illinois by car with his twin sister Nicole, he wanted to see Ryan (as he had ignored the idea of staying with Ryan on previous vacation ventures, since Ryan was three years younger than he). When the two did meet, they created three songs in only one night of recording. It worked out well, the two could really collaborate. Ryan had the instruments, the amps, the mics, and the recording capabilities, while Zack had his keyboarding skills which were at best minimal at that time. After they had made three .mp3s, they were certain that they could do better, as the three songs' quality of recording and sound was nothing more than okay. Zack did not make another trip out to Illinois until July of 1999. That's when everything changed.