Dagobert erases the time

It’s not every singer/songwriter who lists amongst his influences Tiny Tim, Telly Savalas, and the Moog pioneer Mort Garson, never mind taking his name from the German version of Micky Mouse (Scrooge McDuck in the English version). To be honest, the list doesn’t really describe Dagobert’s music, nor does his name reflect his style. Legend has it – it’s probably a “legend” created by the man himself – that Dagobert spent many lonely years in the hills of Grisons, pining and hoping, before moving to Berlin. Here, he pined and hoped a little longer, recorded two albums of quirky chansons with German lyrics, and tried to make sense of modern life.

Four years after his last album, here comes the third, “Welt ohne Zeit” (world without time). Combining 1980s synth-pop elements with a song-writing style steeped in the tradition of Bacharach, French chanson and a smidgeon of German pop, Dagobert has written a whole album all about his past loves. Some he remembers with fondness, others not so much – what is remarkable about this collection is Dagobert’s ability to sing about love in German, and not once veer into the sickly realms of kitsch, so often the downfall of German-language songs.

“Welt ohne Zeit” is released on Staatsakt/Caroline International on 1 March 2019. Dagobert will be touring Germany and Switzerland throughout March and April.

Dagobert
Staatsakt
Caroline International