In the year 2000, Cibo Matto took a break from touring and a formal working schedule as a band. Cibo Matto had one hell of a wild ride in 1999. Yuka, Miho and the crew were putting the finishing touches on Cibo Matto's Sophomore outing, "Stereotype A". By spring of 1999, the new album's release date was set and a summer tour schedule was arranged. The album and the supporting tour was met with rave reviews by Cibo Matto fans around the world, and the press. Yet all did not go so well for Cibo Matto in 1999.

During the fall tour of 1999, Cibo Matto's equipment truck was stolen. This included all of Yuka's keyboards and programmed samplers, effects, etc. The band undertook a brief tour with the band "Live" in 1999. One of the members of the band "Live" became sick during the tour, and shows were canceled. As an opener for "Live", Cibo Matto was the wrong fit on the concert bill. The last leg of the fall tour of 1999 was problematic for the band, to say the least.

Exhausted, the band decided to take a much needed break in the year 2000. Yuka and Sean took their tent to the Japanese islands of Okinawa for the New Year's Eve of 1999/2000. They met up with their friends and source of great musical inspiration, "The Boredoms". Cibo Matto fans learned about the trip when Yuka returned and began posting messages regularly on the band's website message board. Yuka told her fans about how inspired she was by the natural power and beauty of those islands. Fans could learn how excited Yuka was about seeing the Boredoms in concert while in Japan. Yuka told about her trip in a series of posts on the Cibo Matto message board.

The year started off with Yuka and Sean playing some small clubs with close friends. Yuka, Sean, and Arto Lindsay played a show at the Tonic in New York City on January 27. The show was a special benefit for the Circuit Foundation The Circuit Foundation was founded by an old time member of the Cibo Matto family, Dougie Bowne. This foundation was created to provide disabled people with information on the Internet.

Taking a break for Cibo Matto, did not mean taking a rest. Miho and Yuka were busy working in the studio with various musicians in Japan and America. Yuka helped Bonnie Pink on a maxi single for the song, "Sleeping Child". Miho joined Hesher in the studio to sing about Crazy American Cheese Sandwiches. Russell Simins got some help from Miho on his "Public Places", debut album. Sean and Yuka helped out on a CD by OOIOO called "Gold and Green". The band stayed busy in studios around the world playing, mixing, etc. on various projects for a wide array of artists.

While not busy working on other people's projects, Yuka and Miho took some time to be. To be exhausted, moody, and not do anything for a while. To watch the people at the bus stop for no reason at all. To quit being performers long enough to get some more of real life. Real life experiences, where their new material is starting to sprout from. Ever so slowly the smell of the bagel shop and water sprayed from the revolving back tire of a bicycle, finds it way into the faltering lines of poems and bits of melodies.

While everyone seemed to be keeping a low profile, the press continued to take an interest in Cibo Matto.They appeared on the cover of Pop Culture Press in April 2000. In the mean time, Viva La Woman was in Spin's Top 90 for the 1990's. When May came around, Miho and Yuka graced the cover of Keyboard Magazine , which included a feature interview with them. The Interview was surrounding their role in Grand Royal's "At Home with the Groovebox" album. Miho and Yuka were in the spring issue of Bust, which featured an interview with them about travel, as well as a photo. Later in the summer, the video"Sugar Water" was #14 on MuchMusic's top 100 eyepopper video weekend. Cibo Matto's "Sugar Water" is said to be producer Michel Gondry’s most fantastic and memorable video.

The Cibo Matto song "Moonchild" was featured in the movie "Down to You" with Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles. Moonchild remained the theme but the song was given a new twist in it's release of the Derrick Carter remix of Moonchild. The 12" vinyl remix of Moonchild single was released on F-111 Records

Meanwhile, in June, Yuka and Sean showed up at the Yoko/Thurston/DJ Spooky Show at New York City Jazz in Battery Park.

Miho stepped back into the limelight in June, when she decided to spin as a special guest DJ for a couple nights with Groove Armada and Faze Action. She continued to take to the turntables and teamed up with Luke Vibert (aka Plug AKA Wagonchrist), at P.S. 1's Contemporary Art Center. In addition to the cool tunes, there was Dunescape, an "urban beach" architectural installation, designed by SHoP, which meant people could bring a swim suit and towel, lounge by the pools and on deck chairs, under umbrellas, before they mingled in the music area.

The summer saw Yuka Honda & Friends emerging , to play the Tonic in July. The show proved memorable with Money Mark, Susie Ibarra among the friends, doing a cover of the Backstreet Boys' "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely". Yuka continued to play with various people around New York City in various configurations. This included a show in August with with drummer Susie Ibarra and Geggy Tah's "Pamelia Kurstin" (famous for her theremin playing) at the Tonic. Throughout the year, Sean, Yuka, and Timo wove a web with their friends in Dopo Yume.

In July, Yuka's show was opened by "Pterodactyl, Bird of Doom", featuring Timo. This was the first of a series of shows that Timo played at the Tonic. Timo's band included Duma on drums. Japa Keenon was also part of these shows. Word spread that Timo was busy working on his own solo CD, "the enchanted forest of Timo Ellis".

In New York City's PS 1 Contemporary Art Center, Cibo Matto was featured in the "Volume: Bed Of Sound" Exhibit. This special art show featured music available for listening at this interactive exhibit. Cibo Matto had ten minutes of previously unheard music. The Cibo Matto Songs at the exhibit were Jungle, Country, Beauty, and Swords & Paintbrush.

In February 2000, Yuka and Sean made news when they took a quick trip to Europe together. On the spur of the moment they took a plane to Spain, to appear at Yoko Ono's art exhibition there. Yuka and Sean took a little jaunt over to France. By chance Stella McCartney was found in a revolving door at the Paris Ritz. This chance meeting, lead to a trip to Stella's fashion show for the designs she has worked on for Chloe.

As the summer moved into fall, the Sean Lennon Band became more active. Sean, who was working on his next solo album in the year 2000, could be seen playing at various small clubs in New York City. Yuka played keyboards at Sean's shows at the Mercury Lounge, Tonic, and various other places.

In October, Yuka joined Sean for a tour of South America. The Sean Lennon band played in Rio de Janeiro Jazz Festival, opening the show for Sonic Youth. Some problems with various issues prevented the band from playing as well as they wanted, but they made up for it when they played another two South American shows with Sonic Youth. The next concert was at the Free Jazz Festival in San Paulo, Brazil. After Brazil, Sean and Yuka traveled on to play at the Club Hipico de Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Alternative Springtime Festival.

After the concerts were over, Yuka and Sean took a holiday in South America. Cibo Matto fans followed their adventures, by reading Yuka posts on the Cibo Matto Official Message Board.

After returning from the Amazon , Yuka got together with Pamelia Kurstin, Susie Ibarra, Sean, and Timo to play yet another show at the Tonic. By this time news of Pamelia's theremin wizardry was starting to get around. People were blown away by the music at the show.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Miho had been working quite earnestly on a project with Smokey Hormel. Cibo Matto fans know Smokey mostly as a guitarist with Beck, Tom Waits, etc.; but he is also another Brazilian music freak. Smokey and Miho performed selections from Baden Powell's 1965 Brazilian classic "Os Afro Sambas". The show was Sunday, December 17, 2000 in New York City at Tonic. Yuka was also featured at this memorable concert. Together with Smokey, Miho and Yuka used the concert to provide a very positive note for them to end the Millennium.

The year 2000 found Cibo Matto operating as a very informal family of solo performers. The year was filled with journeys into improvisation. Yuka and Miho explored jazz music together and as individuals. Duma, Timo, and Sean experimented with electric distortion and effects with their bands. These experiments with new musical forms and ideas explored in 2000, are sure to appear in new Cibo Matto music in the new Millennium that looms before us

Photos © Copyright 2000 By Sunflower AKA Sujin L - Use Limited by Permission

Special thanks to kitty from shadows on the wall

Some of the material used on this page appeared on the Cibo Matto Official News page at cibomatto.com.