Stereo * Type A

Stereo ★ Type A
Studio album by Cibo Matto
Released June 8, 1999
Genre Indie rock, bossa nova, Shibuya-kei
Length 57:04
Label Warner Bros.
47345
Producer Yuka Honda
Cibo Matto chronology
Super Relax EP
(1997)		 Stereo ★ Type A
(1999)		 Pom Pom: The Essential Cibo Matto
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[2]
Rolling Stone[2]

Stereo ★ Type A is the second studio album by Cibo Matto released in 1999. As the group disbanded in 2001, It was their last studio album prior to their 2011 reunion.

While having a strong focus on atmospheric and ambient sounds and melody (particularly in "Moonchild"), Stereo ★ Type A also contains a broad range of styles, reaching into hip hop territory in "Sci-Fi Wasabi" (with vocals by Duma Love), and heavy metal in "Blue Train".[1] Furthermore, "Clouds" and "Mortming" contain heavily vocoded vocals. Several critics noted the album's difference from the group's debut, regarding it positively as a progression of style[1] and a maturation.[3]

Despite managing to peak at just number 171 on the Billboard 200,[4] the album did reach the top spot of CMJ's College charts.[2]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Cibo Matto, unless otherwise specified.

  1. "Working for Vacation" – 3:15
  2. "Spoon" – 4:06
  3. "Flowers" – 2:59
  4. "Lint of Love" (Cibo Matto, Duma Love) – 6:10
  5. "Moonchild" – 5:13
  6. "Sci-Fi Wasabi" – 3:43
  7. "Clouds" – 3:27
  8. "Speechless" – 4:32
  9. "King of Silence" – 4:55
  10. "Blue Train" – 5:21
  11. "Sunday Part I" – 3:19
  12. "Sunday Part II" – 3:38
  13. "Stone" – 3:17
  14. "Mortming" (Dougie Bowne) – 3:09

The Japanese release includes the bonus tracks "Backseat" and "Country".

Reception

The album received positive reviews upon its release, with Melody Maker calling it "album of the year so far. Purely joyous pop." Time Out magazine also named it "pure pop LP of the year so far."[2]

Heather Phrase of AllMusic says of the album: "Relying less on samples and more on their latent funk and jazz elements, Stereo ★ Type A sounds like summer in New York -- eclectic, hot, and funky. ...Stereo ★ Type A's overall sound is more direct and less fanciful than of their debut album Viva! La Woman."[1]

In their interview with the band, Barnes & Noble noted the band moving away from writing songs about food, opining the album is a "diverse collection of tracks that includes metal-edged rockers, lounge-influenced pop, pithy hip-hop -- and only one song about culinary delicacies ('Sci-Fi Wasabi')."[5]

Independent publication SOMA Magazine stated: "Stereo ★ Type A confirms that the best way to make pop music is by combining multiple styles... Combined with Yuka Honda's style for sampling and Miho's sensual vocals, Stereo ★ Type A is a complete success."[2] Duke University's student newspaper The Chronicle summarized: "It's a funky alternative to G-105 and definitely a sign that all pop music hasn't gone to hell yet. Here's to hoping Honda and Hatori can bring it back."[3]

Personnel

From the liner notes of Stereo ★ Type A:

Additional musicians ("special guests")
Recording personnel
Additional personnel

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Heather Phares. "Stereo Type A - Cibo Matto | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Stereotype A - Cibo Matto". W. Dire Wolff. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Cibo Matto, Stereotype A". The Chronicle (Duke University). June 9, 1999. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Stereo Type A - Cibo Matto | Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Barnes & Noble - Cibo Matto Interview". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
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