GM Electronics - Trashwalker

GM Electronics is the Power Electronics/Noise/Experimental project of Jirí Balsinek. This project hails from the U.K., although Jirí is originally from the Czech Republic. Jirí also owns the record label Chimera, which is dedicated to releasing music by Harsh Noise, Experimental, Ambient and Electronica artists.

'Trashwalker', an album of pure electronic chaos, saw it's third release in 2011. It was originally released on I.N.K Recordings, then later re-released on the now defunct label Cyber-Blast Records in 2004, and now sees it's final (?) release on Existence Establishment, a distributor for Noise, Industrial, Ambient, and Avant Garde music, as well as a webzine and a D.I.Y. event organization. GM's older albums and singles may be difficult to find, but if you seek anything, you can find some of it on Chimera. Other than that, you'll have to scour the internet and Ebay for previously released music.

This limited edition release was limited to only 50 copies. Each CDr came housed in a sheet of tar-infused copper. Nothing screams Industrial Power Electronics more than that! The CD itself was encased in a plastic cover and the copper sheet was bendable and included color artwork. Since each one was made independently from the other, no two were the same. Also, with the passage of time, came the need for Jirí to change the names of three of the songs from the original title. These attributes give the owner of this album a sense of owning something very special.

'Trashwalker' is an all-out assault of screeching waves of feedback, analogue synthesizers making sub-bass pulses or high frequency squealing sounds, and samples of distorted guitars. One may not even consider this album to be music, but rather experimental art, expressing ideas and emotions of hatred, decay and filth. If you wrapped up all the fear, corruption and disease in the world into 6 tracks, 'Trashwalker' is what you'd get. This album sonically attacks your senses and drags you into a world of anarchy and confusion.

When people think of Power Electronics, they often think of Whitehouse. They are basically credited with creating the genre that GM Electronics falls into, and nothing about GM will disappoint the Whitehouse fan, and general fan of Power Electronics. At times, I feel that GM may be even more chaotic than Whitehouse. I find GM's sound to be more comparable to Japan's master of Power Electronics, Merzbow. Chaos really is an understatement here. Distorted feedback is extremely prominent throughout this album. The album also stops just as abruptly as it starts so you really don't have much time to rest your ears.

Power Electronics may not be for everyone, as it's extremely noisy and experimental, but I urge the listener to check out a track or two amongst the Rhythmic Noise or Harsh EBM tracks in your possession. This album is pure noise, no beats. Listening to all 6 tracks can be taxing on the ears and, well, it may give you somewhat of a headache. However, GM Electronics is a shining example of quality Power Electronics and makes a great starting point in discovering something new or adding new music to your collection. Dec 28 2012