Microwaved - The History of Microwaved and Gabriel Wilkinson

The Sonic Architecture of Aggression: A Biography and Musical Analysis of Gabriel Wilkinson

Microwaved and More!

The American Midwest, and Iowa in particular, served as an unexpected crucible for alternative, industrial, and nu-metal music during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Gabriel "Gabe" Wilkinson stands as a pivotal, highly collaborative figure within this regional music ecosystem. Rather than confining himself to a single subgenre, Wilkinson’s career spanned aggressive heavy metal, electronic programming, and industrial coldwave. Through his involvement with Experimental Mind Therapy, Smakdab, Eddie Buzzard, and his primary solo project, Microwaved, Wilkinson consistently bridged the gap between analog aggression and digital manipulation. His body of work reflects not only the sonic transition of alternative music at the turn of the millennium but also the therapeutic power of musical creation in the face of deep personal trauma.

The Genesis of Gabriel Wilkinson and Early Synth Exploration

Wilkinson’s artistic foundation was formed in the late 1980s. A pivotal moment occurred when he witnessed KMFDM performing on MTV’s pioneering alternative music program 120 Minutes. This introduction sparked a lifelong fascination with the legendary Chicago-based industrial label Wax Trax! Records. Driven by a desire to decipher how raw, confrontational rock could be fused with mechanical precision, Wilkinson immersed himself in the discographies of Ministry, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Sister Machine Gun, and Die Warzau.

Wilkinson's interest in synthesis and sampling was not solely derived from industrial music. He drew early inspiration from the classic rock tape manipulations of The Beatles' "Revolution 9" and the soaring synthesizer lines in the Steve Miller Band's "Jet Airliner". This diverse array of influences led him to explore labels like Re-Constriction, Nettwerk, Fifth Column Records, and Cleopatra. By the mid-1990s, Wilkinson began experimenting with his own electronic setups, using a Roland XP-50 Music Workstation to draft the initial sounds that would define his future projects.

During this formative period, Wilkinson established Experimental Mind Therapy (EMT) as his primary vehicle for purely electronic and experimental soundscapes. EMT was designed as a laboratory to test the limits of synthesizers, sequencers, and digital samplers without the structural limitations of a traditional rock band. Through EMT, Wilkinson honed his ability to construct dark, atmosphere-heavy textures and aggressive synth lines. Although EMT operated primarily in the underground tape-trading and self-released CD-r circuits of the Midwest, it produced at least one full-length album, The End, released in 2002.

EMT’s most significant contribution to Wilkinson’s career was its role as an artistic calling card. When the Iowa nu-metal band Smakdab was looking to incorporate electronics into their heavy, guitar-driven sound, they recruited Wilkinson directly from his work in EMT. The liner notes of Smakdab’s self-titled debut album explicitly acknowledge this connection, noting that his keyboard performances were rendered courtesy of his primary project.

Smakdab and the Iowa Nu-Metal Movement

In 1998, Wilkinson joined Smakdab, a nu-metal outfit based in Mason City, Iowa. To this day, Wilkinson regards Smakdab as the most successful live and commercial project of his career. The band's distinct style combined the down-tuned, groove-heavy dynamics of early Korn with the brutal, wide-ranging screams of lead vocalist Alexis Bassett.

The band's lineup represented a diverse mix of hard rock performance and electronic manipulation:

Alexis Bassett – Lead Vocals

Mick Meyers – Guitars

Ryan Emerson – Drums

Eric Eisenman – Bass

Gabriel Wilkinson – Keyboards, Electronics, Sampling, Programming

In late August and September of 1998, Smakdab entered Junior's Motel recording studio in Otho, Iowa, with engineers Kirk Kaufman and Kevin Miles to record their self-titled debut album. During these sessions, the band crossed paths with members of Slipknot, who were then preparing for their own rise to international fame. Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor and drummer Joey Jordison took an active interest in the project. Jordison provided uncredited additional production for the album, while Taylor contributed guest vocals to the track "Shadowed". "Shadowed" featured a dynamic vocal performance from Taylor, alternating between melodic clean vocals and aggressive roars that previewed his work on Slipknot's 1999 self-titled debut.

Despite the star power of these guest contributions, Jordison and Taylor went uncredited on the physical release. Shortly before the album's release, Smakdab received a letter from Roadrunner Records making it clear that neither Taylor's nor Jordison's names should appear on the packaging. This was done to avoid marketing conflicts ahead of Slipknot's major-label debut. As a result, the collaborative nature of "Shadowed" remained an underground secret for over two decades. It resurfaced in 2019 when music journalists rediscovered the track, prompting Corey Taylor to tweet his appreciation for the song, which he had not heard since recording it twenty years prior.

Following the release of their self-titled album, Smakdab continued to perform across the Midwest, releasing The Perfect Time EP in June 2000 before eventually disbanding. Wilkinson’s tenure with the band allowed him to share stages with prominent national acts, including Slipknot, American Head Charge, Mudvayne, System of a Down, and Hate Dept..

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