Cibo Matto
Encyclopedia
Cibo Matto are a New York City
-based band formed by two Japan
ese women, Yuka Honda
and Miho Hatori
, in 1994. Initially, the lyrics in their songs were primarily concerned with food, before expanding into broader subject matter following the addition of Sean Lennon
, Timo Ellis
and Duma Love to the band, showcased on their second studio album.
While the two founding members of the group are Japanese expatriates, they are not especially popular in Japan; the group did not gain nearly as large a following in Japan as it did in the United States. According to Billboard, their "minialbum" Viva! La Woman sold only 20,000 copies in Japan but over 74,000 copies in the U.S. Japanese producers did not understand the appeal of the group.
band Leitoh Lychee, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda formed Cibo Matto in 1994 with Honda as the instrumentalist and Hatori as the vocalist (although occasionally Honda sang and Hatori contributed instrumentally). In 1995, Cibo Matto released a self titled EP on El Diablo Records. The EP caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records
who signed Cibo Matto later in the year. Under Warner Bros. the duo released their first major album, Viva! La Woman
. Cibo Matto is an Italian
phrase that translates to "Crazy Food" and many of the tracks from Viva! La Woman, produced by Mitchell Froom, featured lyrics related to food, including "Know Your Chicken", "Apple", and "Birthday Cake". Their single, "Sugar Water" was a modest college radio
and dance hit. The song was accompanied by an innovative split screen music video
directed by Michel Gondry
, where each side showed the same footage—one side going forward, and one backwards, meeting mid-song. http://www.splitscreen.us/2005/07/cibo_matto__sug.html After the music videos for "Know Your Chicken" and "Sugar Water" enjoyed success on MTV
, Cibo Matto made appearances on various television shows such as Oddville, Viva Variety
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "Birthday Cake" was heavily featured in the video game Jet Set Radio Future
. in 1996, Cibo Matto contributed "Águas De Março (Waters of March)" to the AIDS
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
, which would complete the line-up by introducing new members Sean Lennon
and Timo Ellis
with Duma Love joining soon thereafter. In 1998 Lennon released his debut solo album Into the Sun, which featured Hatori ("Into the Sun", "Sean's Theme") and Ellis ("Mystery Juice", "Home", "Spaceship"). Into the Sun was produced and inspired by Honda (whom Lennon was dating at the time). In the music video for Lennon's single "Home" Honda, Hatori, Ellis and Love appeared in the closing scene. Cibo Matto went on to release their second (and final) album Stereo ★ Type A in 1999. Although it was a departure from the much loved sound of Viva! La Woman, Stereo ★ Type A was well received by fans and the music critics alike.
All of the members of Cibo Matto have gone on to release solo material and have on occasion collaborated with each other.
. The concert, which took place on March 27 at Columbia University
in New York City, also included Yoko Ono
, John Zorn
, Sonic Youth
and Mike Patton
. Following the success of this show, a second was added, this time featuring the Plastic Ono Band and Patti Smith
along with Cibo Matto. http://www.timeout.jp/mobile/en/tokyo/feature/2791/Cibo-Matto-The-Interview
The group appeared at the Hollywood Bowl
on June 26 for another benefit, alongside Yellow Magic Orchestra
. http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4529
On May 16, 2011, Cibo Matto announced their US reunion tour titled "Yeah Basically Cibo Matto" with a tour website http://www.yeahbasicallycibomatto.com/ and promotional video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZs_BPg2xqM. During the concerts, the band reportedly spoke about a new studio album being released in 2012.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based band formed by two Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese women, Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
and Miho Hatori
Miho Hatori
is a singer, songwriter, and musician. She is primarily known as the vocalist of the New York City group Cibo Matto, and the first person to provide the voice of Gorillaz member Noodle.-Biography:...
, in 1994. Initially, the lyrics in their songs were primarily concerned with food, before expanding into broader subject matter following the addition of Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
, Timo Ellis
Timo Ellis
Timothy K. "Timo" Ellis is a multi-instrumentalist and record producer from New York City, currently in the bands The Netherlands and Joan as Police Woman. He also runs a commercial music company called 70% Water Music as well as his personal label Records and Tapes Records.Ellis attended Evergreen...
and Duma Love to the band, showcased on their second studio album.
While the two founding members of the group are Japanese expatriates, they are not especially popular in Japan; the group did not gain nearly as large a following in Japan as it did in the United States. According to Billboard, their "minialbum" Viva! La Woman sold only 20,000 copies in Japan but over 74,000 copies in the U.S. Japanese producers did not understand the appeal of the group.
Viva! La Woman: 1994–1996
After working together in the noise rockNoise rock
Noise rock describes a style of post-punk rock music that became prominent in the 1980s. Noise rock makes use of the traditional instrumentation and iconography of rock, but incorporates atonality and especially dissonance, and also frequently discards usual songwriting conventions.-Style:Noise...
band Leitoh Lychee, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda formed Cibo Matto in 1994 with Honda as the instrumentalist and Hatori as the vocalist (although occasionally Honda sang and Hatori contributed instrumentally). In 1995, Cibo Matto released a self titled EP on El Diablo Records. The EP caught the attention of Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
who signed Cibo Matto later in the year. Under Warner Bros. the duo released their first major album, Viva! La Woman
Viva! La Woman
Viva! La Woman is an album by Cibo Matto released in 1996 by Warner Bros. Records. The genre has been described as "urban trip-hop". The album received mostly favorable reviews...
. Cibo Matto is an Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
phrase that translates to "Crazy Food" and many of the tracks from Viva! La Woman, produced by Mitchell Froom, featured lyrics related to food, including "Know Your Chicken", "Apple", and "Birthday Cake". Their single, "Sugar Water" was a modest college radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
and dance hit. The song was accompanied by an innovative split screen music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
directed by Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
, where each side showed the same footage—one side going forward, and one backwards, meeting mid-song. http://www.splitscreen.us/2005/07/cibo_matto__sug.html After the music videos for "Know Your Chicken" and "Sugar Water" enjoyed success on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, Cibo Matto made appearances on various television shows such as Oddville, Viva Variety
Viva Variety
Viva Variety is an American sketch comedy series that aired on Comedy Central from April 1997 to December 1999. The series satirizes European variety shows.-Overview:...
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. "Birthday Cake" was heavily featured in the video game Jet Set Radio Future
Jet Set Radio Future
Jet Set Radio Future is a video game developed by Smilebit and the sequel to Jet Set Radio. The game is also known as Jet Grind Radio. It was published by Sega. It was released on February 25, 2002 in the United States, near the beginning of the Xbox's lifespan...
. in 1996, Cibo Matto contributed "Águas De Março (Waters of March)" to the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
benefit album Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin
Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin, the tenth entry in the Red Hot Benefit Series of compilation albums, takes a post-modern look at the contemporary rock en Español scene...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
Stereo ★ Type A: 1997–2001
In 1997 Cibo Matto released a new EP entitled Super RelaxSuper Relax
Super Relax is an EP by Cibo Matto released in 1997. Four of the nine tracks are remixes of the song "Sugar Water" from the group's debut album, Viva! La Woman, and "Spoon" would later appear on Stereo ★ Type A...
, which would complete the line-up by introducing new members Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
and Timo Ellis
Timo Ellis
Timothy K. "Timo" Ellis is a multi-instrumentalist and record producer from New York City, currently in the bands The Netherlands and Joan as Police Woman. He also runs a commercial music company called 70% Water Music as well as his personal label Records and Tapes Records.Ellis attended Evergreen...
with Duma Love joining soon thereafter. In 1998 Lennon released his debut solo album Into the Sun, which featured Hatori ("Into the Sun", "Sean's Theme") and Ellis ("Mystery Juice", "Home", "Spaceship"). Into the Sun was produced and inspired by Honda (whom Lennon was dating at the time). In the music video for Lennon's single "Home" Honda, Hatori, Ellis and Love appeared in the closing scene. Cibo Matto went on to release their second (and final) album Stereo ★ Type A in 1999. Although it was a departure from the much loved sound of Viva! La Woman, Stereo ★ Type A was well received by fans and the music critics alike.
Disbandment
The group continued to play live and tour until disbanding in 2001. In an interview Honda stated,All of the members of Cibo Matto have gone on to release solo material and have on occasion collaborated with each other.
Reunion
Cibo Matto announced their reunion on March 18, 2011 to perform as part of a benefit concert for victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. The concert, which took place on March 27 at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City, also included Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
and Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
. Following the success of this show, a second was added, this time featuring the Plastic Ono Band and Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
along with Cibo Matto. http://www.timeout.jp/mobile/en/tokyo/feature/2791/Cibo-Matto-The-Interview
The group appeared at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
on June 26 for another benefit, alongside Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band...
. http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4529
On May 16, 2011, Cibo Matto announced their US reunion tour titled "Yeah Basically Cibo Matto" with a tour website http://www.yeahbasicallycibomatto.com/ and promotional video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZs_BPg2xqM. During the concerts, the band reportedly spoke about a new studio album being released in 2012.
Band information
- Yuka HondaYuka HondaYuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
: sampler and sequencer, keyboard, piano, organ, synth, harpsichord, backing vocals - Miho HatoriMiho Hatoriis a singer, songwriter, and musician. She is primarily known as the vocalist of the New York City group Cibo Matto, and the first person to provide the voice of Gorillaz member Noodle.-Biography:...
: Lead vocals, percussion, acoustic guitar - Sean LennonSean Lennonis an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
: Bass guitar, (electric, 12-string and acoustic) guitar, drums, percussion, synth, backing vocals - Timo EllisTimo EllisTimothy K. "Timo" Ellis is a multi-instrumentalist and record producer from New York City, currently in the bands The Netherlands and Joan as Police Woman. He also runs a commercial music company called 70% Water Music as well as his personal label Records and Tapes Records.Ellis attended Evergreen...
: Drums, percussion, bass guitar, (electric and acoustic) guitar, backing vocals - Duma Love: Percussion, vocals, turntable, beat box
Grand Royal involvement
Although Cibo Matto was represented by Warner Bros. Records, they were also considered to be a major part of the Grand Royal Records family.- Under Grand Royal, Honda and Hatori formed side-project band Butter 08Butter 08Butter 08 was a short-lived musical side project whose members consisted of Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto, Russell Simins of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Rick Lee of Skeleton Key and director Mike Mills. The band released just one album, the self-titled "Butter 08" in 1996 on the...
(1996) with Russell Simins, Rick Lee and Mike MillsMike Mills (director)Michael C. "Mike" Mills is an American film and music video director and graphic designer. He is perhaps best known for his independent films Thumbsucker and Beginners.-Early life:...
. - Hatori collaborated with the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
(who founded Grand Royal) on their 1997 album, Hello NastyHello NastyHello Nasty is the fifth studio album by the Beastie Boys. It was released on July 14, 1998 via Capitol Records and sold 681,000 copies in its first week, debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 album sales chart...
. - Sean LennonSean Lennonis an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
released his debut album, Into the Sun (1998) on Grand Royal (which featured Honda, Hatori and Ellis). - Yumiko Ohno of Buffalo DaughterBuffalo DaughterBuffalo Daughter is a Japanese rock group formed in 1993. The three main members are suGar Yoshinaga on guitar, Yumiko Ohno on bass, and Moog Yamamoto on turntables and graphic design...
(a former Grand Royal band) contributed moog synthesizerMoog synthesizerMoog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
and backing vocals to Stereo Type A (1999). - In 2000, Grand Royal released a compilation album entitled At Home with the Groove Box in which Lennon contributed the song "Winged Elephants" while Honda and Hatori contributed the song "We Love Our Lawyers". The compilation also featured artists such as BeckBeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
and Sonic YouthSonic YouthSonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
.
Works featuring Cibo Matto music
- (1996) "Birthday Cake" was featured in The Kids in the HallThe Kids in the HallThe Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
's feature-length film, Brain CandyBrain CandyBrain Candy is a feature film by The Kids in the Hall, a Canadian comedy troupe. Directed by Kelly Makin, filmed in Toronto, and released in 1996, it followed the five season run of their television series, which had been successful in both Canada and the United States.The five man team plays all...
. Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
also released her EP Rising Mixes, featuring a remix of her song "Talking to the Universe" by Cibo Matto. - (1997) The band guest-performed on the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer's second season premiereWhen She Was Bad"When She Was Bad" is the first episode in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written and directed by series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon...
in the fictional club "The Bronze", performing "Spoon" and "Sugar Water", the latter being played during the infamous scene in which Buffy SummersBuffy SummersBuffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
teases Xander HarrisXander HarrisAlexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
with her dance. - (1998) "Who's Got the Light" was featured in Half-Baked.
- (1999) "Sugar Water" appeared in Christopher DoyleChristopher DoyleChristopher Doyle is a cinematographer. He has won the AFI Award for cinematography, the Cannes Technical Grand Prize, Golden Osella, the Golden Horse awards , and Hong Kong Film Award . Doyle is an affiliate of the Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers.-Biography:Doyle was born in Sydney,...
's directorial debut, Away with WordsAway with wordsAway with Words is a 1999 auteur trilingual film by Christopher Doyle co-scripted by Doyle and Tony Rayns and starring Tadanobu Asano and Mavis Xu...
. - (2000) "Moonchild" was featured in the film Down to YouDown to YouDown to You is a 2000 romantic comedy film about losing a first love. It was directed by Kris Isacsson. The main characters are Alfred 'Al' Connelly Imogen and Cyrus...
. - (2002) "Birthday Cake" was featured as part of the video game soundtrack for Jet Set Radio FutureJet Set Radio FutureJet Set Radio Future is a video game developed by Smilebit and the sequel to Jet Set Radio. The game is also known as Jet Grind Radio. It was published by Sega. It was released on February 25, 2002 in the United States, near the beginning of the Xbox's lifespan...
. - (2006) Their music was featured in the M. Night ShyamalanM. Night ShyamalanManoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan,known professionally as M. Night Shyamalan, is an Indian-born American screenwriter, film director, and producer known for making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that climax with a twist ending. He is also known for filming his movies in and around...
film Lady in the WaterLady in the WaterThe soundtrack was composed by James Newton Howard. The last four tracks are non-soundtrack songs from singer/songwriter Amanda Ghost, Indie rock band A Whisper in the Noise, and rock 'n' roll revivalists Silvertide. Each of the four songs was written by Bob Dylan...
. - (2010) "Sugar Water" appeared in the Nip/TuckNip/TuckNip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
finale.
Singles
- "Birthday Cake" 7" (1995)
- "Know Your Chicken" 7" (1996)
- "Working for VacationWorking For Vacation"Working for Vacation" is the first single from Cibo Matto's second album, Stereo ★ Type A, released in 1999. B-side "Vamos a la Playa" was later included on the 2007 compilation Pom Pom: The Essential Cibo Matto.-Track listing:Japanese pressing...
" (1999) - "Moonchild" (1999)
- "Spoon" (1999)
Music videos
- "Know Your Chicken" directed by Evan BernardEvan BernardEvan Bernard is an American director of commercials and music videos who has directed videos for artists such as Moby, the Beastie Boys, Green Day, Lit, Cibo Matto and many others.After studying advertising design at Syracuse University and St...
(1996) - "Sugar Water" directed by Michel GondryMichel GondryMichel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
(1996)