abwärts

Abwärts (German for "downward") is a German post-punk band from Hamburg, notable in the early 1980s German underground. Formed in the late 1970s, Abwärts developed a spare, angular sound that combined guitar, bass, and drums with terse, ideologically charged lyrics in German. Their music reflected the influence of international post-punk and synth-based experimentation, placing them among the early contributors to the German independent music scene that would influence later movements such as Neue Deutsche Welle and the broader German alternative scene. The band released several singles and EPs on independent labels, compiled later on reissues, and performed extensively in Germany and nearby countries.

Over the years, Abwärts underwent lineup changes and ultimately ceased activity in the mid-1980s, though members continued to work on related projects in the independent and experimental music spheres. In the years since, the band has been cited by scholars and music historians as an example of early German-language post-punk and as an influence on later German underground bands. To English readers Abwärts translates as "downward" in German, and the name has appeared in other media contexts as well.