We are a campaign – a group of individuals who share a zealous lust for music – music that invades our thoughts, music that propels our bodies – music that allows us to revel in passion and pleasure. We refuse to dilute the energy that constitutes our lives – this seamless integration with the pulsing of sounds and shrill notes sailing wildly through nightclubs and concert halls across the globe. Instead we’ve elected to thrust ourselves into this sea of binary manna – information which helps us sustain our ravenous appetite for music – the Internet.

Our goal is to exalt the unexalted, to bring you goth, noise, electronica, techno, punk, indie rock, darkwave, no wave, jungle, hardcore, world music, and things we would dare never even classify. Utilizing the liberated mp3 format, Epitonic.com aspires to live up to our neologistic moniker, the center from which waves of disruptive purity emit. -from epitonic’s about.

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” Certain Elegance from the early decade. ”

01. June of 44 – Of Information and Belief
Four Great Points (Quarter Stick, 1998)
02. Rosa Chance Well – And So Then Were We
Rosa Chance Well (Kimchee Records, 2001)
03. Timonium – Filamented
Until He Finds Us (2002)
04. Dean Martinez – Ethchlorvynol
Atardecer (Knitting Factory, 1999)
05. Pavement – Greenlander
Slanted & Enchanted (Matador Records, 1992)
06. The New Year – Chinese Handcuffs
Newness Ends (Touch & Go Records, 2001)
07. The Go Betweens – The Clock
The Friends Of Rachel Worth (Jet Set Records, 2000)
08. The Strokes – Last Nite
The Modern Age ep (Xl Recordings, 2001)

note: A handful of sites and event influenced and shaped MdM to become what it is now, Epitonic.com is one of them. Back in the dark age of internet digital audio, it was soundless internet. Around 1998, web browser, Netscape 6, was finally a reliable killer app PC software, html proper proliferated, and most people used 56k v.90 dial up to read the net. Text and image were functional and the promise of internet arrived, but internet audio did not exist. MP3 files was to big and exotic until around 1999. Three things happened. Napster showed up out of nowhere and thrive on college campus network. Those who were lucky to have connection fast enough for transfering mp3 size file. The first generation of digital audio player is out in store (Rio player), and of course practical mp3 ripper for PC finally available online. Music selection was mainly metal, R&B, hip-hop top 40, mtv or at the time “alternative” and grunge, the great reaction to metal. Only the hardiest of music lovers know more by cultivating relationship with local record stores, newsletters or exchanging tapes. So, good music was only for those who brave chaotic Napster or informed underground. Until Epitonic.com.

It was a magnificent site, not only it served mp3 files on the web, but one could listen and downloaded full song without the chaos of napster. Best of all there were far larger genre and sound to explore guided by well written and informed opinion. Nobody was watching over or looking disapprovingly. A good techno is just as deserving as indie rock or lyrical acoustic. Modern classic and experimental are as fun as latest pop to explore. It was forward looking and opening large sound vista. This was what MdM learned. Not only individual songs, but how genres can be viewed and organized, what size of music landscape is possible online. It was revolutionary. Particularly, the dark dissonant indie sound that often shows up in MdM post is the sound of epitonic.com. The sound color you see is the early days of internet, not merely indie list from early ’00. Certain elegance, somewhat moody and different.

Long story short. Epitonic folded in 2004 because the economic model didn’t exist back then for such activity. The server cost finally brought them down. This was before itune/ipod mind you. But they are back now. So MdM is helping to spread the word for their fund drive. If you have some lose change drop them here:

Epitonic.com: Relaunch by the Original Founders

You can still visit the old site archive here while they are building a new one : Epitonic.com

image: fangleman