Dizzy Errol - Motherlamp
Dizzy Errol could be easily considered as a cultural phenomenon, if it wasn't this man's unique personality overshadowing any explorations in social discourses. Born on a ship in the harbour of Melbourne, Australia, he grew up in Munich, Germany, surrounded by his turk family. There it was his turk aunt who introduced the young boy into the luminous world of 60ies pop and limelight, bringing the boy puce moments of psychedelia, mindtrips, camp and queerness which allowed the working class kid to feel okay for a while.
Early Errol started composing themes for his roommates Didi & Gogo, both inventions of his mind. We can meet Didi & Gogo on "Motherlamp" in a lunatic song, let's call this music naivepop. It makes you feel happy immediately.
Those who had discovered already a certain Krautpopgroup where Franz Ferdinand's Nick McCarthy had joined, will recognize some tonalities on this lamp and maybe try again by giving a listening to Kamerakino's Gomma-Debut "Paradiso".
Others will recall the quirky voice Dizzy Errol did for a cover of Sexual Harrasment's "If I Gave You A Party", a clubhit for Gomma out of their celebrated "Anti NY" compilation. Dizzy Errol refers to his image as a "Discodoll" on the final song on the album, donating us another fine floor-stomper, but the humourous lyrics mark a cut: "i am your discodoll, please take me to the hall where i feel so small, though i am so tall". Emptyness is not a place to stay.
"Discodoll" and "Pride", the album opener, serve as a jacket to protect the mainsongs therein. "Pride" is banging alarm from the first moment - "some nervy little dogs are barking so loud, cause they need to be proud". A grand personality is giving insights into his experiences inside of this protective barrier. Now this is a varicolored compendium of psychological songs waiting there, passing through the mystery pop of "All Around" and the funny but furious antipop of "Not Like This", both with terrific refrains full of alienation and optimism at once, coming to the fragile Rumba-pop of "Fate", certainly one of the album's strongest moments.
Minimalistic but particular songwriting, the album's mood is getting warmer closing the lamp where the icebreaking "Ballad Of Mr. Grey" is showing Errol's feelings towards the old aged ones.
There's more fairytale and ballad coming with "Motherbirds", a psychedelic and melancholic hymn to the worries of the wonderboy Dizzy Errol used to be and always will be, another high-point of the album.
Then there's a "Big Screen Affair" with sailor song-like Be-Bopish vaudeville followed by downbeat describing situations Errol experienced working at a "Construction Site". Influenced by a wondrous relation between Carl Orff and De La Soul, Syd Barrett and Alien Sex Fiend, David Bowie and David Byrne, Dizzy Errol shines a light upon his world on these ten songs, all instruments having played all by himself.
The album is produced by Albert Pöschl, an expert for The Sound Of Munich as well as for 60ies analogue technics, member of Queen Of Japan, Dis*Ka, Blacken The Black and Das Weiße Pferd, having recorded before Die Goldenen Zitronen, Shinto and Egoexpress amongst others.
In Germany Errol achieved already within a few years his very own brand: Germany's only turk beatnik! Now here's his own version of pop out on the market, it's well packed. Federico Sánchez ("Die Feder aus München")