Xyphon emerged from Surrey as a drum and bass duo in 2018, with a run of EPs on Serial Killaz and Down 2 Earth Musik. DJ Mag subsequently described the partnership as a jump-up duo when covering the solo work of one half, T95.
Their first EP, Back to the Roots, arrived on Serial Killaz in August 2018. They followed it with Hot Throttle on Macky Gee's Down 2 Earth Musik that December, then Solid State on the same label in August 2019. Those releases established the duo's recorded identity before a project built around several distinct MC voices.
Released in October 2019, Year of the Lyricist brought Xyphon together with Harry Shotta on Showtime Music. DRS joined them for My Curriculum Vitae, while Patch Edison featured on Believe. The partnership also produced Letter to Jermain and the EP's title track. By July 2020, T95 had begun releasing solo material, making his debut with DRS on Overview Music's On Site.
