Artifacts began humbly as a way to compile a few old EPs by Beirut to give them a proper physical release. However, as Zach Condon explains in the excellent written commentary of the album, reconnecting with old recordings through new ears transformed a simple reissue project into something much larger. When the decision to reissue this collection came about, he found himself digging through hard drives in search of more to add to the compilation. What initially started as a few unreleased tracks from his early days quickly turned into a whole collection of additional music, leading to a larger project of remixing and remastering. Artifacts is a phylogenetic tree, a double album that traces the evolution of Beirut, from Zach Condon's early attempts at age 14 to bring to life the music he heard in his mind, to the fully realized Beirut we know today.