Nothing New But Abortive Gasp (Doc engl.)

non-profit | independent | licencefree With Marvin Boehmke, Karina Frik, Anke Sandig, Angelika Weinreich a.o. Abortive Gasp was a German electro-industrial band from Hamburg, which was founded in 1987 and existed until 1989. Harry Luehr (instruments), Tim Paal (vocals) and various guest musicians were based in the independent music scene. Their style get noticed due to the high degree of improvisation, which was untypical for electronic music at that time. Abortive Gasp were controversial because of their unpolitical attitude. Not much seems to last with Paal and Luehr: they can neither decide whether they want to be part of the darkwave movement, nor whether they are indeed the right partners for a solid musical collaboration. Besides GIRLS UNDER GLASS, ABORTIVE GASP are also considered a ’Hamburg bunker band’, meaning a group active around the Schanzenviertel, playing their music in clubs like the ’Kir’ or the ’Stairway’ in close proximity of the massive bunker. Not long ago, Western societies were open to artists who broke taboos - thus also in music and there especially in the genre of ’Industrial Rock’. The approaches of rebellious non-conformists like MARILYN MANSON or SKINNY PUPPY were frequently even credited with having a subversively modernizing effect on society. In the new millennium, the left made its peace with the political system and free market economy. Thanks to increasingly progressive policies, the public has become more ’woke’. Therefore, art that offends religious feelings is only accepted if it is accompanied by an impeccable political reputation. ABORTIVE GASP never had that and there are no signs that this will change any time soon. The name of the band always causes discussions: ’ABORTIVE GASP’ seems antinatalistic - as a call not to have children for ethical reasons: An obvious challenge for members of traditional cultural groups with a large number of kids, even if the band has never made an explicit statement about “pro or against abortion“. But provocations like these make access to the gothic and darkwave scene almost impossible for refugees or Muslims, for example. If cultural politics shows no indication of trying to find a solution, the suspicion remains that the scene is actually a closed Christian society - with an upside-down Cross of Saint Peter. With regard to Luehr and Paal, the question arises: Does a band’s name tell us what its members are like? At the end of the eighties, Hamburg’s independent music scene is still strongly influenced by punk and clearly dominated by the left. That’s why ABORTIVE GASP, who do not show the expected progressive attitude in their music and at gigs, receive barely any backing from important players such as label owner Uli Rehberg or music journalist Alf Hilsberg. International music critics and radio DJs like Don Campau and Brian Duguid are far more favourably disposed towards the young musicians from Northern Germany. The atmosphere is tense. ABORTIVE GASP still produce music, but fail to take a clear political position for the continuance of socialist East Germany and thus against the reunification of the two German states. As a result, they soon lose any further support from the darkwavers. In December, the last gig follows in Hamburg’s favourite alternative club “Kir“ as support act for the Slovenian gay art rockers BORGHESIA. Ende, aus, vorbei! ... abortion completed. - - - original source: