Trxsh

Trxsh (or simply Trash) is an aesthetic and internet subculture that is heavily inspired by the Trash Gang collective. Aesthetically, it often incorporates the sharp smiley face mask, references to devils, dark streetwear, and influences from urban culture and Japanese anime. It encompasses fashion, music, editing, and design.

Trash Gang was initially a project started in Slovenia in 2017,^[1] but quickly expanded into an international alt internet movement. It has notably influenced various internet aesthetics, including underground rap, modern skater culture, E-Boys and E-Girls, Sadpeople, and some subgenres of Vaporwave such as "Simpsonwave."

History[]

Trash Gang was originally founded as a project in Ljubljana, Slovenia, around the summer of 2016. The collective established itself on YouTube, where it began uploading music videos. Trash Gang positioned itself as an open "cyber gang," which means they invite anyone from all over the world to join their online subculture. Their early videos began being uploaded in January 2017, and included aesthetic music videos drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources (such as Cloud Rap music, Vaporwave, Simpsonwave, Sadbois and Sadgirls, modern Grunge, Skater culture, anime, etc.) Their take on the alt/underground aesthetic began to expand on YouTube and other platforms such as Roblox really quickly. By 2018, they began uploading AMVs of songs by notable rappers - such as XXXTentacion, $uicideboy$, Lil Peep, or Ghostemane - and also actively collaborated with their fanbase. Naruto and Tokyo Ghoul were particularly popular in the fanbase.

Trxsh began to fade out as a genuine aesthetic community in 2021 due to the increasing commercialization of the style. Once dedicated to promote underground artists, it now primarily charges fans in order to get their music in the channel. The quality of the AMVs posted in the official YouTube channel has also considerable declined, with most of the recent videos being aesthetically carbon copies of each other.

Visuals[]

The Trxsh aesthetic incorporates elements of e-boy, hip-hop, and trap metal culture, particularly through the use of dark clothing, chains, and tattoos. Followers of the aesthetic sometimes draw inspiration from modern grunge and skater culture as well. Anime is an important element of the aesthetic, with anime edits and AMVs (anime music videos) serving as popular mediums for visual expression. In these edits, characters from anime shows such as My Hero Academia or Western animation (like The Simpsons) are edited to look like stereotypical bad boys, with black tattoos, a black-white-red color palette, and gold chains. Many members of Trxsh (as an online subculture rather than a trademark) incorporate imagery from shows like Tokyo Ghoul and Naruto into their online profiles and edits. Recurring motifs include black silhouettes adorned with devil horns and the Trash Gang mask (which loosely resembles a shark's teeth) and the use of yellow and black hazard symbols.

Criticism[]

The Trxsh, Simpsonwave, and Sadpeople aesthetics peaked around 2018-2020. During these years, all of them faced criticism for potentially romanticizing depression or portraying it as "cool." This concern stemmed from the frequent use of imagery and music associated with topics of sadness, depression, heartbreak, and isolation. Some argued this allowed for emotional expression, but others worried it could normalize or minimize the seriousness of mental health struggles, especially for teenagers.

The use of the Kanji alphabet out of context could also be interpreted as cultural appropiation.

Commercialization[]

Beginning in 2021, Trash Gang has been criticized for "selling out" (i.e., shifting towards commercialization). They began charging artists for placement in their AMVs, usually for very high prices ranging from 300€ to 600€. This is while more estabilished rappers can get free features in the videos if they are notable enough or friends with Trash Gang managers,^[2] which is unfair. The community became concerned that the official YouTube channel is prioritizing profit over artistic merit and the sense of community that made it successful in the first place. Their recent music selection became less unique and more bland, following TikTok trends instead of promoting underground artists, some of which even reported being rejected despite being their talents. The recent AMVs have also been criticized for being recycled and not innovative, with a style remarkably inspired by Jujutsu Kaisen. This has led to the decline of Trxsh as an aesthetic.