Xiphiidae is the long-running solo project by Jeffry Astin, label head of underground cassette institution Housecraft. His highly abstract style, spanning over 40 releases, draws from modern and ethnic drone, tape music, musique concrète, kosmische, and lo-fi aesthetics, creating work that defies easy categorization. Pass Hidingly Seek (2009) finally receives its proper vinyl treatment through Aguirre Records. This enchanted folk-drone psychedelia occupies unique territory somewhere between Boards of Canada's pastoral miniatures and BJ Nilsen's dreamiest soundscapes, while echoing the abstract tape manipulations pioneered by artists like Éliane Radigue and Pauline Oliveros.

The album's two untitled sides unfold as slowly evolving compositions that reward patient listening. Astin's careful layering of processed field recordings, analog synthesis, and tape manipulation creates immersive environments that feel both organic and otherworldly. His approach shares DNA with the drone explorations of Stars of the Lid, the textural investigations of Tim Hecker, and the meditative qualities found in William Basinski's decay studies.

Originally issued as a limited cassette on Housecraft, this vinyl reissue preserves the intimate, lo-fi qualities that define the Xiphiidae aesthetic while revealing new spatial dimensions. The work represents essential listening for followers of contemporary ambient music and the ongoing cassette culture revival.