| Status | Underground, eventual fade into obscurity |
| Country | West Germany |
| Timeline | Mid-1970s |
| Subgenres | Neue Slowenische Kunst • Oberkassel |
| Influences | American New Wave • synth-pop • traditional German music, literature, and folklore |
| Role in society | Challenged societal norms and expectations |
| Cultural movement | |
| Impact on music scene | U-Musik • Düsterromantik • Gothic rock |
West Germany is a country that emerged during the mid-1970s in this alternate timeline as a reaction to the political and social climate of the time. Unlike our reality, where West Germany was part of the Federal Republic of Germany and had a diverse and vibrant cultural scene, this West Germany is characterized by its underground nature and dissatisfaction with the status quo. The cultural landscape of this West Germany is dominated by the Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) movement, which emerged as a fusion of American New Wave, synth-pop, and traditional German music, literature, and folklore.
Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW) is an underground musical and cultural movement that emerged in West Germany during the mid-1970s in this alternate timeline. Unlike our reality, where NDW emerged as a mainstream movement in Germany during the 1980s, this NDW is led by German outsiders, intellectuals, and artists who are dissatisfied with the status quo. NDW bands often used provocative lyrics and unconventional performance techniques to challenge societal norms and expectations.
The musical style of NDW is characterized by a fusion of American New Wave, synth-pop, and experimental music with traditional German music, literature, and folklore. The resulting sound is dark, cryptic, and theatrical, drawing heavily on German Expressionism and Gothic art. NDW bands often used provocative lyrics and unconventional performance techniques to challenge societal norms and expectations.
NDW draws inspiration from a variety of sources, including pre-WWII European leftist movements, avant-garde art, and German literature and folklore. NDW bands also incorporated elements of punk, post-punk, and industrial music, creating subgenres such as Neue Slowenische Kunst and Oberkassel, which further explored the darker and more cryptic aspects of the movement.
Despite its underground status, NDW had a significant impact on the German music scene and beyond in this alternate timeline. The movement helped shape the development of U-Musik, a genre of German popular music that emerged during the 1980s, and influenced a variety of Düsterromantik bands and artists. In addition, NDW gained cult status in the UK and United States, inspiring contemporary gothic and darkwave movements such as Gothic rock. However, in contrast to its mainstream counterpart, the underground German New Wave never gained widespread popularity and eventually faded into obscurity in this alternate timeline.
