Undoubtedly, English is one of the hardest languages to master. Even the most erudite of poets stumble on their words and find expressing their thoughts and feelings -- even without the further burden of rhyme -- excruciating.| So why does everyone make such a big deal about Miho Hatori's artichokes?

"I think people kind of put us into this novelty band category," says Yuka Honda, keyboardist and mastermind behind the quirky hip-hop duo, Cibo Matto, of the band's food-themed debut album, Viva! La Woman. "A lot of people think that Miho was singing about food, but she wasn't. She was using food as a metaphor in every song, but none of the songs were about food." Hatori concurs: "I didn't know how to express my feelings with other words because I had just come to New York [from Tokyo]. It was stressful for us, because we understood the metaphor." When she sings "My heart is like an artichoke/I eat the petals one by one/myself," it's hard to imagine anyone misunderstanding the meaning.

Still, many dismissed the group as a couple of screaming Japanese chicks with lots of talent and little direction. So on their second outing, Stereotype A, the two have overcome the tendency to use food as a form of expression and have expanded their musical dexterity. Hatori's English has greatly improved -- as has her voice, due to opera training -- but the real development comes in Cibo Matto's mastering of the juxtaposition of Brazilian rhythms, hip-hop beats and pop sentiments on one glimmering album. Yes, their debut showed hints of Honda's wizardry, but with a rushed studio job and an unsympathetic crew, Viva! La Woman at times reeked of a hack job.

"I have to say, I think we could have done a lot more with Viva! La Woman," admits Honda. "I don't think Miho was given a chance because she didn't speak enough English and she was so nervous. People didn't give her enough chance to do the vocals as many times as she needed. It was a very quick recording, and for the live samples, I was recording them in my apartment and then pushing all the buttons myself in the studio. That's why I wanted to produce this record." With Honda at the helm -- and multi-instrumentalists Timo Ellis and Sean Lennon as bonafide members of the group -- Stereotype A evolved slowly and manifested her vision.

The result is a spectrum of samples and sounds that belies any narrow labels thrust upon the group. Heavy metal, rap, new wave, bossa nova and funk permeate the album, as do themes of friendship, love and the celebration of life. True, the single "Sci-Fi Wasabi" still hints at a food obsession (which is the translation of the band's Italian name), and still plays around with childish, tongue-tying rhymes, but the notion of Honda and Hatori being cutesy imports with a kitschy edge can be brushed aside -- for the most part.

"It's often hard for us to be taken seriously," says Hatori. "People are like, 'oh, they're a pop band, they're simple.' But we wanted to share more. And, I mean, we love to have fun, too. 'Sci-Fi Wasabi' is about searching for our force -- like our life force. But, really, I just liked the word a lot."

HEIDI SHERMAN(June 8, 1999)