Selected by more critics and music publications for their "best of" lists than any other record released last year save Beck's Odelay, Cibo Matto's delightful, 10-song Warner Brothers debut, Viva! La Woman, speaks a universal language understood the world over - food.
Seasoned by the quirky, underwater sounds and unusual electronic twitters of DJ/creator-of-noises Yuka Honda and garnished with the oddly compelling song-poetry of vocalist Miho Hatori, tracks such as "Apple," "Beef Jerky," "Sugar Water," "Birthday Cake," "Artichoke" and "White Pepper Ice Cream" layered subtle tastes of bossa nova, hip-hop, French pop, trance, Cuban jazz and hypnotic lounge schmaltz over a steaming plate of Duke Ellington, Paul Weller, Francis Lai and Ennio Morricone samples for one of the most enchanting records of 1996.
On the road for most of the year promoting Viva! La Woman during national tours with Boss Hog, Beck, the Butthole Surfers and Everything But The Girl, the Japanese-born duo returned to New York just before Christmas and immediately began working on the recently released, nine-song Super Relax EP.
Taking their captivating, everything-in-the-pantry menu of found sounds, refried beats and exotic spices to the next level, Yuka and Miho's latest effort features four versions of "Sugar Water" (including remixes by the appropriately-monikered Coldcut and Beastie Boy Mike D. working with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion cohort Russell Simins); two new songs named after food ("Crumbs" and "BBQ"); one track named for an eating utensil ("Spoon"); a curious take on The Rolling Stones' "Sing This All Together"; and a hauntingly beautiful version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Aguas de Marco."
"Food is the one thing that all cultures and all people share, understand and identify with," proclaims Hatori in hesitant, charming, not quite fluent (she moved to America four years ago) English. "Yuka and I wanted Viva! La Woman to speak to all people on all levels and I'm grateful that so many have let our music into their lives."
"I listened to a lot of American music when I was growing up - but I spoke only Japanese, so I couldn't understand what anyone was singing," she laughs as she explains her unique, frequently beautiful, stream-of-conscious poetry and spoken-word couplets that double as lyrics.
"I was always singing along, but, I had no idea what I was singing," Hatori continues, "so I just sang what I thought was right. I always 'felt' the melody and I knew a few [English] words; for the words I didn't know, I either hummed - or I used wrong words that sounded good there."
"I didn't realize, at first, how words and music went together. When it finally happened," she recalls in wonder at the first time everything "connected," "it was so amazing! It was just so powerful for me!"
"Words are powerful things. They can be misunderstood too easily," Hatori muses before adding cautiously, "so I use as few as possible and choose them very carefully."
