Review: Senor Coconut - 'Around The World'

Senor Coconut's 2000 album El Baile Aleman brought the German-expatriate recognition as he turned songs with Latin rhythms into electronic masterpieces. Around The World does the same thing with familiar club hits, each one from a different country, each one fit for a Latin dancehall.

Listen /Download /Purchase

El Baile Aleman Listen /Download /Purchase

Uwe Schmidt has had a lot of aliases – more than 50 at last count. The Frankfurt born musician has been heavily involved in electronic/techno music since his start in the 1990s (then he was Atom Heart). In 1996 he moved to Santiago, Chile in order to explore Latin music.

Under the new alias, Senor Coconut y Su Conjunto (the Conjunto was electronics, played by Senor Coconut), Schmidt rose to some prominence in 2000 with El Baile Aleman, a Latin tribute to electronica pioneers Kraftwerk. (The album was remastered and re-released in Nov. 2008).

Now the eclectic Schmidt is back with Around The World and a track list of familiar club hits adapted in his inimical electronic style to Latin rhythms and ready for the dancehall.

That means that the Eurythmics compelling “Sweet Dreams” and Prince’s “Kiss” become cha cha chas that seem such natural covers that you have end up thinking: “What was that original rhythm?” Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Corcovado” and Perez Prado’s “Que Rico El Mambo” keep their original rhythm but are treated to an electronic overhaul. The ‘Around the World’ theme is wrapped in Senor Coconut’s adaptation of Daft Punk’s “Around The World” which serves as an introduction, intermission and closing wrapper.

With lyrics in English, German and Spanish, this is a campy, fun and eminently danceable tribute to some well-known and popular club numbers, clothed by a master in electronic and technical wizardry and as accessible as the originals.