Xiphiidae is the long-running solo project by Jeffry Astin, label head honcho of everyone's favorite underground cassette label Housecraft. Based in Athens, Georgia (and previously Brooklyn), Astin has built an extraordinary catalog of experimental music that spans over 40 releases, predominantly on cassette format, establishing Housecraft as one of the most respected underground tape labels in the experimental music community. Astin's highly abstract style, represented across his vast discography, defies all attempts at elementary categorization, but indicates broad influences from modern and ethnic drone, tape music, musique concrète, kosmische, and lo-fi, amongst others. This eclectic approach has resulted in a body of work that consistently surprises and challenges listeners, making each Xiphiidae release a unique exploration of sound and texture. Two selected recordings, Pass Hidingly Seek (2009) and Quaking Myth (2010), finally get the proper issue on wax through Aguirre Records. These albums represent crucial entries in Astin's catalog, showcasing his ability to create "enchanted folk-drone psychedelia" that occupies a unique space in the experimental music landscape. The decision to reissue these works on vinyl reflects their significance within his extensive body of work and their enduring appeal to collectors and enthusiasts of experimental music.
Pass Hidingly Seek originally emerged in 2009 as part of Astin's prolific cassette output during a particularly fertile creative period. The album demonstrates his mastery of creating what has been described as sounds that exist "somewhere between Boards of Canada's pastoral miniatures and BJ Nilsen's dreamiest" work. This comparison highlights the album's unique position within ambient and drone music, combining the nostalgic warmth associated with classic electronic music with the more abstract and challenging approaches found in contemporary sound art. Quaking Myth, released the following year in 2010, continues Astin's exploration of abstract sound worlds while pushing into even more challenging territory. The album exemplifies the Xiphiidae aesthetic of creating music that resists easy description or categorization, instead demanding active engagement from listeners willing to immerse themselves in its carefully constructed sonic environments.
Housecraft Records, Astin's own imprint, has become synonymous with adventurous tape music that pushes the boundaries of ambient, drone, and experimental music. The label's extensive catalog includes collaborations and solo works that span the full spectrum of underground experimental music, from field recording-based compositions to heavily processed drone works. Astin's curatorial vision has made Housecraft essential listening for anyone interested in the current state of experimental music. The technical approach behind Xiphiidae recordings often involves extensive use of analog processing, tape manipulation, and careful layering of field recordings with more traditional instrumental elements. This methodology creates compositions that feel both organic and artificial, familiar yet alien, drawing listeners into sonic spaces that seem to exist outside of normal temporal and spatial boundaries.
Both Pass Hidingly Seek and Quaking Myth are structured as extended compositions that unfold slowly, rewarding patient listening with gradually revealed details and subtle textural shifts. Each album consists of two untitled tracks, allowing the music to exist without the constraints of programmatic interpretation, instead encouraging listeners to develop their own relationships with the evolving sound worlds. The vinyl reissues by Aguirre Records represent an important moment of recognition for Astin's work, bringing these previously cassette-only releases to a broader audience while preserving their essential character. The transition from cassette to vinyl maintains the intimate, lo-fi qualities that define the Xiphiidae aesthetic while enhancing the dynamic range and spatial qualities that make these compositions so compelling.
