Electro-Industrial · EBM · Darkwave · Short Documentary 2022

Nothing New But Abortive Gasp

The non-commercial short documentary by Ludwig Kamberlein on Hamburg’s electro-industrial band Abortive Gasp (1987–1989) — improvisation, provocation, and an abrupt end in the independent scene on the eve of German reunification.

Director: Ludwig Kamberlein
Year: 2022
Genre: Music documentary
Style: Electro-Industrial / EBM / Darkwave
Location: Hamburg

▶ Watch the documentary Band history

Black-and-white cover showing four solemn portrait photographs under the title of an electro-industrial documentary. — Image description for screen readers: The square black-and-white cover shows the title “NOTHING NEW BUT ABORTIVE GASP” and the subtitle “a short electro-industrial documentary” in white type on a black field at the top. Below are four vertical portraits side by side — two men and two women in dark clothing with serious expressions against a bright outdoor background. The lower part of the image is a dark area with horizontal, blurred light reflections that suggest electronic signal waves.

Watch the short documentary

Watch the full short documentary Nothing New But Abortive Gasp (2022) by Ludwig Kamberlein. Recommended for fans of electro-industrial, EBM, darkwave, industrial rock, and Hamburg independent music history.

Video: Nothing New But Abortive Gasp · Ludwig Kamberlein · 2022 · File: Nothing New But Abortive Gasp ENG 2025_mini.mp4 · Script: Docu Script (PDF)

Abortive Gasp – Electro-Industrial from Hamburg

Abortive Gasp was an electro-industrial band from Hamburg that existed from 1987 to 1989. Founded by Harry Luehr (instruments) and Tim Paal (vocals), with various guest musicians, they stood out in the independent scene for an unusually high degree of improvisation — atypical for electronic music at the time.

Because of their apolitical stance, they were controversial in Hamburg’s heavily punk-influenced, left-dominated independent scene. The band name “Abortive Gasp” was read as antinatalist and sparked debate, without the band taking a clear position on abortion.

Labeled a “Hamburger Bunker Band”, they played clubs near the Schanzenviertel and the flak bunker — including the alternative venue Kir and Stairways. Their final show took place in December 1989 at Kir as support for the Slovenian art-rock act Borghesia.

Why the band still draws music fans

Abortive Gasp stand for a brief, sharp episode in Hamburg’s electronic history: danceable yet hard-to-digest industrial experiments, irony, and pastiches of acts such as Front 242 or Ministry. International critics and radio DJs such as Don Campau and Brian Duguid were more sympathetic than local figures — among them label operator Uli Rehberg or music journalist Alf Hilsberg.

“They confront their audience with hard-to-digest — yet always danceable — electro-industrial experiments as well as pastiches of Front 242 or Ministry. … Unsteady — inconsistent … anarchic.” — Expert in the documentary

About the documentary

Nothing New But Abortive Gasp (German working title: Nichts Neues außer ‚Abortive Gasp‘) is a non-commercial short documentary from 2022 by Ludwig Kamberlein. It examines how stylistic indecision — including toward the darkwave movement — and the absence of the expected political stance led to a lack of acceptance in the local scene.

The film was made with the involvement of Marvin Böhmke, Karina Frik, Anke Sandig, Angelika Weinreich, and others. It offers a window onto a provocative but short-lived chapter of Hamburg music history — relevant to anyone exploring electro-industrial, EBM, and the dark scene of the late 1980s.

Full spoken script: Docu Script.

Portrait of a young woman with short dark hair in front of a derelict building with graffiti and broken windows — a scene still from the documentary’s context. — Image description for screen readers: Scene still (music historian / contemporary witness context of the documentary). A young woman with short dark brown hair and strong brows stands outdoors looking directly into the camera. She wears a red-and-black plaid shirt and an open olive-green parka with a fur hood. Behind her is a rundown building with broken window panes and graffiti on the concrete facade; in front, overgrown autumn greenery. The shot feels urban, raw, and documentary — matching Hamburg’s independent and bunker-band milieu.

Themes: scene, politics, name, abrupt end

Hamburg bunker bands

Alongside acts such as Girls Under Glass, Abortive Gasp are counted among the “Hamburger Bunker Bands”: groups around the Schanzenviertel that played clubs near the massive flak bunker. Harry Luehr remarks in the film that the press label sounds militaristic yet underlines the need for a refuge from hostility — and draws a comparison: today, bands that lack the desired “stance” do not retreat into bunkers but into the internet.

Apolitical — or the wrong politics?

“The accusation that we were ‘apolitical’ is really only a euphemism for the fact that we did not show the desired political allegiance. We made music without regard to sensitivities, because that is a core idea of independent music.” — Tim Paal

By the late 1980s, Hamburg’s independent milieu was still heavily punk-influenced and left-dominated. Abortive Gasp displayed neither the expected progressive attitude nor the darkwave dress code — and lost local support.

The band name “Abortive Gasp”

The name suggests antinatalism and remains open to debate. According to the documentary, a clear pro- or anti-abortion stance from the band is never heard. Looking back, Harry Luehr notes that the name had something prophetic about it — without any of the members later burdening themselves with raising children.

The fall of the Wall and the final show

In autumn 1989 the Iron Curtain fell. Punk as a youth culture was winding down; EBM and darkwave movements around bands such as à;GRUMH or Nitzer Ebb were setting themselves apart. Abortive Gasp did not take a clear position against reunification — and lost what remained of scene support. In December 1989 came the final show at Kir as support for Borghesia: End of the line … abortion successful.

“We don't need any moral standards!” — Harry Luehr

Media & cover art

Visual documents of the band and the film — album covers from 1989, a historical band photo (Public Domain / CC0), and scene material.

Album cover Raw Scent, Abortive Gasp, 1989. — Image description for screen readers: Album cover “Raw Scent” (1989). Two Abortive Gasp members in front of a rough light concrete wall. Left, seated: a man in a denim jacket and white shirt. Right, standing: a man in a brown leather jacket and dark turtleneck. Center: the title “Raw Scent” in large black stencil type with a drip effect; above, “ABORTIVE GASP” in white slanted lettering. Industrial underground aesthetic.

Album cover To Have The Second Crack, Abortive Gasp, 1989: figures in yellow protective suits. — Image description for screen readers: Album cover “To Have The Second Crack” (1989) by Abortive Gasp. On the left black strip, the band name “ABORTIVE GASP” runs vertically in silver-white type. On the right, a surreal scene against a blue tile grid: a large figure in a yellow protective suit and dark helmet, seen from above; beside it a smaller glossy yellow doll or mannequin figure with a bald head and facial markings; at the bottom a partly visible bare foot and a pink banner with the album title “TO HAVE THE SECOND CRACK” in handwritten black lettering. Clinical, uncanny, and provocative — typical late-1980s industrial cover art.

Historical black-and-white stage photo of Abortive Gasp, 26 October 1989, Public Domain / CC0. — Image description for screen readers: Historical live or rehearsal photo of Abortive Gasp from 26 October 1989, released as Public Domain / CC0. High-contrast black and white with heavy grain and white blowout. In the right foreground, a musician in a T-shirt holds a small device aloft (likely an effects unit, remote, or microphone accessory); in the background and to the left, a second person in dark clothing, soft and dark. The graphic recalls xerographic industrial flyer art and documents the band’s raw stage presence shortly before their breakup.

For genre portals & music blogs

This page is intended as a stable, citable resource for electro-industrial, EBM, darkwave, industrial, and independent portals. Feel free to link — with credit to the short documentary Nothing New But Abortive Gasp (Ludwig Kamberlein, 2022) and the band Abortive Gasp (Hamburg, 1987–1989).

Sources, streaming & further links

Official and editorial references on the band and documentary — ideal for further reading and for embedding in genre articles and playlists.

Credits & production

Title: Nothing New But Abortive Gasp
Director / concept: Ludwig Kamberlein
Year: 2022
Format: Non-commercial short documentary
Subject: Abortive Gasp – electro-industrial, Hamburg 1987–1989

Contributors (among others):

Marvin Böhmke
Karina Frik
Anke Sandig
Angelika Weinreich
and further participants

Historical photo 26 Oct 1989: Public Domain Dedication (CC0). Album covers and scene stills: part of the local documentary package.

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