Señor Coconut

I know there will be doubters out there, but let me assure you, this concept works. The complaints that Kraftwerk writes cold and inhuman music are on target, though roboticism was often the point in previous albums. However, they also wrote some catchy melodies and memorable lyrics (mostly because they tended to run under 20 words per song), and Señor Coconut infuses these icy German/Deutsch gems with enough sexy Latin heat to please both the mind and the rump.

In "Trans-Europe Express," the Señor's steel drums, cool vibes, and intoxicating cumbia beat transform the grinding metal of the original into a relaxing ganja-smoking session with your favorite rasta friend. A brass chorus and cha-cha wood blocks mean that "The Robots" is no longer the manifesto of a dehumanized society, but an easycore morsel worthy of Esquivel. The spicy rhythm and jaunty refrains of "Homecomputer" and "Tour de France" make sitting still impossible. Never have hips had such reason to love Kraftwerk.

It would be tempting to belittle the songs of El Baile Alemán as enjoyable curios, but some of the covers augment Kraftwerk's genius by revealing the music in a new light. In particular, "Show Room Dummies" and "Neon Lights" bloom from neurotic reflections on modernist angst into smooth cha-chas with an undiscovered level of warmth.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that Señor Coconut and su conjuto are a complete fiction. This album is the work of an expatriate kraut named Uwe Schmidt, better known as electronic musician Atom Heart. Since his move to Chile, fair Uwe's cold Prussian blood has been warmed by the romance and humanity of our neighbors to the south in a remarkable cross-cultural exchange. Whether you're a die-hard Kraftwerk junkie or a fan of fluid Latin beats, El Baile Alemán is sure to please. (Emperor Norton)

—Andrew Guenzer

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