INTERVIEW: Cibo Matto
- Al Muzer
Media darlings the moment their 10-song Warner Brothers debut, Viva! La Woman, hit the retail racks back in 1996, Cibo Matto keyboardist/creator-of-inspired-noises/producer Yuka Honda and vocalist/lyricist Miho Hatori have been through a lot together since meeting as members of Laito Lychee in 1994.
Following their critically-acclaimed major label debut, the duo released the nine-song Super Relax EP in 1997; had a track ("Spoon") featured on an episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer; toured the world with artists such as Beck, Boss Hog, Butthole Surfers, Porno For Pyros and Everything But The Girl; and participated in the Butter 08 all-star project on Grand Royal Records.
And, just in case that wasn't busy enough, Cibo Matto also slammed through an inspired version of "Birthday Cake" on Comedy Central's Viva! Variety; toured some more; and, after nearly a year in the studio, are about to unveil the astonishingly-diverse, brilliantly-melodic, 14-song Stereotype A (Warner Brothers) to a nation of potential fans starving for a groove that'll take 'em somewhere solid this summer.
A wonderful, hour-plus journey through warped, twisted, processed, fuzzed and filtered filaments of funk, soul, samba, jazz, pop, lounge, bossa nova, exotica, electronica, Egyptian, Indian, metal and classical influences - Stereotype A is genius pushed to greatness thanks to the combination of Hatori's unique and sultry vocals; the quirky sounds, unique flourishes and layered, but loose, production provided by Honda; the in-the-pocket pulse and steady presence of drummer Timo Ellis; the percussion, vocals and turntable mastery of Duma Love; and the supple, propulsive bass lines and subtle-to-screaming guitar riffs of one Sean Ono Lennon.
"What I'm proudest of is the collaboration," Hatori has said when asked about the expansion of her band for the recording of Stereotype A. "It's [the album] the product of four people [who are] listening all the time. Sean and Timo can play any instrument and were there every day helping out. This is like a family."
"Sean was actually touring with us before we recorded Viva! La Woman," Honda says of the additional musical and songwriting inspiration provided by the three newest members of her band, "back when we were doing our really grungy, early shows and staying at like, Motel 6 or worse. He's always been very supportive of Cibo Matto. Timo is Sean's best friend and he joined the group about a year later. And, all four of us are very excited about the addition of Duma (who appears as a guest on the record) to the lineup."
"It's much more musical and it's certainly a lot more fun to have a few people, instead of just two, involved in the creation of the music," Honda adds. "A lot of elements and ideas to choose from makes our music better and, I think, really helps us grow as people and musicians as well."
"Our first songs were written to be played live in tiny places like CBGB's Gallery and, what's on our first record is, pretty much, what we did at our first shows," Honda has said. "We were kind of test-driving and didn't know shit. We've learned and evolved [and] spent time experimenting and taking chances. We set much bigger goals."
Not something that's particularly high on the group's personal agenda - but certainly a very real possibility considering the across-the-board brilliance of Stereotype A - is a radio hit. The near simultaneous release of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace and "Sci-Fi Wasabi," the first single from Cibo Matto's new album, is too perfect a fit not to be a success.
"We really had no idea ... it wasn't something we were aiming for. But, now that we know about it, we're very psyched that they're both coming out at the same time," laughs Honda. "The album took much longer to make than we originally planned, so the timing in this - as all good timing seems to be - is totally coincidental."
