El Baile Aleman

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Uwe Schidt--the man behind the Senor Coconut persona--is known for cooking up tasty surprises like IEl Baile Aleman/I. Since the mid-90s he has been one of the most imaginative and entertaining producers (concept-wise) on the electronic music scene, creating an astonishing body of work under a bewildering variety of nom-de-disques including Atomheart, Flanger (with Burnt Friedman), Lassique Benthaus, LB, Geez 'n' Gosh and many more. This latest project was inspired principally by Schmidt's move to Chile a few years ago, where he began to explore Latin sounds and came up with the idea of merging them with the most contrastive sound he could think of: the rigid electronica of Kraftwerk. This attempt to meld supposedly polarised sounds shouldn't really work, but on it does. Though the album has a live, organic and thoroughly Latin feel to it, it was created solely by Schmidt on computers (apart from some vocalists he brought in)--his way of showing the blurred lines between live and programmed sounds. The stiff, reserved sounds of Germany's electronic legends give way surprisingly easily to Schmidt's swings and rumbas, lending the music a sexy edge it never quite had before. There's a political dimension too, in the fusion of first world electronica and third world folk sounds, which won't have escaped academic Schmidt, but first and foremost this is about making computers sound fun. Genius. --IPaul Sullivan/I

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Customer reviews

review by: sonik57 date: 2006-08-11 rating:
Trans-Europe Excess!
This has to be heard to be believed. br / br /I read about it somewhere just as it was released and, being nuts about the Dusseldorf doyens nearly all my life, I decided to see what it was about. br / br /If you've ever wondered what the immaculate Showroom Dummies or The Robots sound like rendered as Latin tunes, wonder no more as they're here plus other corkers like the truly brilliant Home Computer. br / br /God himself knows what Ralf Hutter and Florian Schnieder think of it all but I dare say it makes them smile. It's also staggering to think of the sheer man hours Uwe put into this: knowing the songs intimately which he probably does is one thing but analysing what makes them work and then re-work totally differently is something else entirely. br / br /Is he taking the piss? Of course! If he presented south American dance musics from Chile (where he lives) as full-on techno or austere electro, the transference would be reciprocated. That I'd like to hear! Since this album, he's covered Smoke On The Water and Jarre's classic Oxygene 2, again in a Latin style. It takes a brave man to do what he's done so fair play to him. br / br /If that weren't enough, a new album Latinising the exemplary work of Tokyo electromeisters Yellow Magic Orchestra has just appeared too. I can hardly wait to hear him have a go at Sakamoto's steely "T-E-C-H-N-P-O-L-I-S...Tokyo!" vocal! br / br /Brilliant but not everyone gets it.

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review by: TonyM date: 2003-01-22 rating:
I Cant Stop Laughing - This will always cheer me up
Having been a devoted Kraftwerk fan for years. I stumbled upon Autobahn by a certain Snr Coconut. I played it thinking it was an underground remix. To my surprise - I discovered an outrageously funny version of the Kraftwerk classic.pBut the rest of this album is also clever in so many wayspIt makes Kraftwerk sound very laid back.brIt dupes everyone who listens to it - into thinking how wonderful the cha cha cha is!brIt makes a mockery of the seriousness of KraftwerkbrThe interpretations are very relaxed compared to Kraftwerk's version - but - ironically Snr. Coconut made all these composition on a computer!pIf you are a Kraftwerk fan - and have a sense of humour - buy this album - it will always cheer you up.p(I wonder if Kraftwerk have hired a hit-man to 'sort out' Snr. Coconut for this scandalously funny album!)

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review by: sonik57 date: 2002-10-15 rating:
Down South America way!
Imagine if Kraftwerk decided to re-record some of their classicbrtracks in Chile and not Dusseldorf? Imagine if The Mix had beenbrmixed in the skinny South American country? What would it havebrsounded like?pIn case you have ever pondered this, the answer is at hand! brSenor Coconut (a pseudonym) has done just that. If you everbrwanted to hear The Robots rendered as an authentic brcha-cha-cha, here's your chance. It sounds like nothing else!pIt could be said that electronic music - as exampled by Kraftwerk (the founding fathers of modern synth music) -bris the total opposite to Latin grooves with its emphasis bron ultra-tight timekeeping and minimalism. It's ironic brthat all the sounds on this album were sampled and brsequenced on a PC!pI'm not quite sure if Sr Coconut is having the last laugh brat a sound which has always been seen as 'naff' with its brassociation with big flowery shirts and ballroom dancing.pAt the end of the day, there is only twelve notes anyway.pIt's up to you how you play them or to what tempo.pAl Ferrier

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review by: date: 2002-07-08 rating:
Wry genius -- not just a novelty record!
This truly is music to bring a smile to your face. Even if you don't know the original tracks, the cheeky humour present throughout this Latin sample fiesta will keep you guessing. If you are familiar with Kraftwerk's oeuvre, the thrill of finding out how Senor Coconut will deal with a particular bit of a track will leave you grinning like an idiot.pIt does wind down a bit towards the end, and the cut-up techniques on "Tour de France" expose the computer-generated nature of the beast a bit too much for my liking, but all in all, a great listen.


review by: joldham11 date: 2002-07-08 rating:
Senor Coconut - El Baile Aleman
Totally bonkers - off the wall interpretations of Kraftwerk - reworked in a bossanova stylie! A great conversation starter or stopper. Fun Fun all the way - the surprise sensation of the summer. Don't take my word for it. Buy and play, sit back and just enjoy. European 1970s-1980s electronic music never ever sounded like this!

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