Like many mystical phenomena, Cryptid Records emerged from a place unknown. Our logo, The Beacon, appeared in places we didn’t expect before we officially made its acquaintance. Inexplicable occurrences have followed Cryptid’s founding members. From strange sightings to unusual experiences, The Unknown is a familiar entity to us.

As Cryptid Records was born, we discussed an image that would represent what we were building. We wanted to find something that encapsulated our love of mystery, the spooky, the silly, the undiscovered gem, and the elusivity of authentic experiences. We thought of spider webs, the intertwining pathways that connect us to meaningful art and community. However, we didn’t want to simply catch The Unknown, we wanted to call it to us. The web’s threads became spindles, an analogue broadcast antenna was suggested. The Beacon took shape. 

Flash forward six months. Our first headquarters, the 25-year home to two founding member’s, is sold. Dreams of the attic began, amplifying in frequency. It appears like a vast world yet to be discovered. Leading up to picking up the final boxes, there is an inkling that something important has been missed. 

Arriving for what will be the last time, every room gets a thorough inspection. Fingers trace over the chip in the kitchen floor tile, eyes scan the newly painted white walls, an empty bathtub is reclined in. Mystery felt safe here, an unidentifiable creak of the house or a faint footstep down the hall when no one else was home was always good natured.

We’re about to leave, and we spot it. The Beacon sits perched atop the house, as if waving. It had stood for a portrait drawn by someone that had never seen it, or knew it existed. Some things are just coincidence, but this is not one of them. 

For over a quarter of a century, it stood watch above the house where the attic meets the roof. Without knowing, it had called to me, called to all of us. It watched as we conspired Cryptid into existence, and while we crafted its likeness, it let us think we were clever. 

In the moment before driving away for the last time, its statement was clear. “Go, you’ve heard the call. It will follow you. It will draw you to others along the way. It connects us all, to those we know, and to those we have yet to meet.”