Reissue of the album that made Senor Coconut a household name (sort of). El Baile Alem n was originally released in 2000 On this release, Se¤or Coconut (Uwe Schmidt, Atom Heart) reworks Kraftwerk with a Latin pun... more »ch. Although the idea of Latin reworkings of arty German synth music may seem like a novelty, the results are far from it. This is as real as it gets and successfully manages to reinterpret both musical styles while never straying too far away from either.« less
Reissue of the album that made Senor Coconut a household name (sort of). El Baile Alem n was originally released in 2000 On this release, Se¤or Coconut (Uwe Schmidt, Atom Heart) reworks Kraftwerk with a Latin punch. Although the idea of Latin reworkings of arty German synth music may seem like a novelty, the results are far from it. This is as real as it gets and successfully manages to reinterpret both musical styles while never straying too far away from either.
CD Reviews
Must Be Heard to Be Believed
David Peterson | Southern California | 03/17/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Try to imagine some generic, cheesy Latin lounge music. Got it? Now try taking Kraftwerk's "Showroom Dummies" and cramming it into that genre. Got it? No? Then you have to listen to this album. In fact, you can listen to Señor Coconut's version of "Showroom Dummies" and a few of the others tracks from this album, since the band's made them available on the internet (just type "Señor Coconut showroom dummies" into Google, and you'll find it). I highly recommend it. Because, even though this is pretty much a gimmick, the music is still rather enjoyable. Rather very enjoyable."
Truly interesting
03/16/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of the very few interesting Kraftwerk interpretations. It really shows that their songs are not genre-bound, but timeless classics of minimalist songwriting. As a previous reviewer suggested, the album would have been even better if they had used Spanish lyrics."
This guy is a real genius
lcrisi | Roma Italy | 05/23/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"By using different styles of Latino rhytms, sounds and intruments, he made a new sense to old songs... the original song spirit is preserved, and you easily recognize which songs are emulated after a few beats, but the sound is something really new. A must."
An Ultra-Salsa Lounge Take on Kraftwerk
Amaranth | Northern California | 01/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I saw this album several yrs ago,the cheery pink cover&colorfully costumed musicians intrigued me.Even the title "Senor Coconut:El Baile Aleman" sounded---fun.
Senor Coconut's "El Baile Aleman" is reminiscent of Esquivel,the "space age" lounge music of the '60s;it's a campy tribute.However,this time Senor Coconut takes the New Wave '80s music of Kraftwerk&turns it into salsa lounge.It's a case of the remix being superior to the original.
The opening number "Showroom Dummies" is hilarious,cheekily done as a cha-cha-cha."Trans Europe Express" is a cumbia."Autobahn" is punctuated with car noises."Homecomputer" has the song about being "cast into the future" set to a merengue beat."Tour de France" sounds like a '60s advertising jingle--or something from "The Incredibles" with its retro beat."The Man Machine" is rhythmic&fun.
"El Baile Aleman" is a perfect introduction to European lounge music,electro-salsa,or even Kraftwerk.It's a happy album that will put a smile on your face!"
Fun!
Trekker | California | 02/13/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a fun and silly CD...if yoou like Latin music and Kraftwerk you will love it!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1