2003 album of Latin rhythms including the track 'Humo En El Agua' (Smoke on the Water). Remixes by Martin Gore (Depeche Mode) of Smooth Operator and by the mighty King Britt, Swayzak & German whiz kids Sieg Uber Die Sonne of Smoke on the Water. 10 tracks. Emperor Norton.
Review by Joshua Glazer
Uwe Schmidt continues to explore the line between sincere music philosophy and comical exercise with his Señor Coconut project. While his breakthrough El Baile Alemán album brought to life the idea of a traditional Latin band covering the songs of Kraftwerk to amusing yet intellectual effect, Fiesta Songs does the same to pop hits such as "Smoke on the Water," "Riders on the Storm," and "Beat It" with less easy results. While the recontextualization of a prototypical group such as Kraftwerk clearly played with the notion of genre in a way never heard before, most were satisfied merely with the joke. But now that the joke has been done, Schmidt is left with only a dissertation on the nebulous existence of real and synthetic in modern studio recordings -- which makes for fine reading, but will be lost on all but the most informed listener. Far more compelling is Schmidt's Pop Artificielle album, recorded under the lb moniker, which re-recorded hits by John Lennon, James Brown, and Donovan with a software program that converted each track into an ethereal robot serenade. The resulting versions maintained the keen pop qualities of the original while adding a new flavor. On Fiesta Songs, the original pop sensibility is overpowered by the Latin formula of cha cha or merengue. Señor Coconut may be sound in theory and sincere in conviction, but that doesn't answer the question, do you want to hear a Latin version of Michael Jackson?
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