Remembering PNDN Records: 2000-2003

After creating PunxNotDead.Net while in high school, I launched PNDN Records on January 1, 2000, hoping to capture the vibrant energy of Portland's punk scene. Those early 2000s were a bustling time for creativity, full of the DIY spirit that defined punk culture. With digital music not yet a force, we relied on underground networks to promote and support our community. PNDN Records was my way to contribute, working to uplift emerging punk bands from around the world.

In our short existence, PNDN Records made a significant impact. We offered support to bands like The Set-Backs, Blunt Trauma, Decade of Failure, The Red Menace, Die Screaming, and The Escaped from Portland, Oregon. We also worked with Toxic Shock from Pennsylvania and Chaos Rabak and Under Pressure from Tel Aviv. Helping bands with shows and promotions, we created a supportive network they could depend on.

Our approach was authentically DIY. With large-scale production out of reach, we burned each CD one at a time, printed liner notes on an inkjet printer, and manually assembled and shrink-wrapped them. It was a labor of love, a testament to our independence and passion for the music.

We had bold plans for PNDN Records—a move towards professionally pressed CDs and vinyl, as well as compilation albums designed to showcase diverse punk voices. Tragically, these aspirations were halted in 2003 when personal circumstances, including a period of homelessness, forced the label to cease operations.

Despite our brief run, we accomplished so much—more than I could have imagined before turning 21. PNDN Records was driven by my passion for punk and commitment to the community, leaving a small but lasting mark on Portland's punk landscape. Our DIY ethics and spirit of camaraderie were central to everything we did.

Looking back, PNDN Records taught me what can be achieved through determination and a strong sense of purpose. It was more than just a label; it was a movement that celebrated punk's raw energy and unyielding spirit, providing a platform for voices that might have gone unheard.

Even after PNDN Records faded, its influence lives on in the memories and impacts it left behind. It feels like a poignant chapter in my life and in the story of Portland’s punk scene — a testament to the power of grassroots passion in shaping cultural movements.

DIY or Die,
Korvin
(AKA M.T. Well)