''Hotel Valentine'' is the third and final album by New York City-based band
Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto (, Italian for "crazy food") was an American alternative rock band formed by Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori in New York City in 1994. Initially, the band's lyrics were primarily concerned with food, before expanding into broader subject ma ...
. It was released through
Sean Lennon
is an American–British musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The G ...
's label Chimera Music on
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, throu ...
(February 14), 2014.
The album was produced by band members
Miho Hatori
is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known as a solo artist, co-founder of New York City band Cibo Matto, and as the first person to provide the voice of Noodle in the virtual band Gorillaz, as well as for her work with th ...
and
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese-American musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist (mainly piano, synthesizer, sampler and other keyboards), composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto. Throughout her c ...
over the course of two years. The project was initially announced in 2012 but was delayed. The official press release touts it as a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
"with a love story and ghosts in a hotel".
The announcement of its release date was accompanied by the full upload of the video for "MFN", which had previously been released as a 14-second teaser. The video is directed by Georgia and features
Reggie Watts
Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, beatboxer, and musician. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. Watts refers to himself as a "disinf ...
.
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
described the track as one "that bounds manically between bass-heavy
trip-hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tempos ...
, lush pop interludes, lo-fi
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
ndshimmery
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
",
further naming its video as a "hyperactive collage of imagery".
''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' called the video "a wonderfully colorful sensory overload that is perfectly matched to the wild and swaggering song".
The music video for "Deja Vu" was released on September 18, 2014, in collaboration with director Jean Claude Billmaier. ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' identified the video as "a colorful,
datamosh-y new video", and ''Spin'' characterizing it as "stylish bubblegum pop-meets-digital-disaster (intentional)."
As well as Watts, the album features appearances from
Wilco
Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently dur ...
guitarist
Nels Cline
Nels Courtney Cline (born January 4, 1956) is an American guitarist and composer. He has been the guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004.
In the 1980s he played jazz, often in collaboration with his twin brother Alex Cline, Alex, a percussionis ...
, drummer
Glenn Kotche
Glenn Kotche (born December 31, 1970 in Roselle, Illinois, United States) is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 40th greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008.
Prior to w ...
, and percussionist
Mauro Refosco
Mauro Refosco is a Brazilian percussionist. He is best known for working with singer David Byrne and as the former touring and session percussionist for the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is a member of the experimental supergroup A ...
from the supergroup
Atoms for Peace
"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953.
The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
.
The band toured North America in February and March 2014 to support the album.
Pre-orders for the album came with a handwritten Valentine's Day card from Hatori and Honda.
Background
In the press release for the album,
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese-American musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist (mainly piano, synthesizer, sampler and other keyboards), composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto. Throughout her c ...
explained:
"'Hotel Valentine' was the first song we wrote together for this album. It thus represents the genesis of our concept or story, but in a way it seems that explaining too much would prevent listeners from coming to their own conclusions about each song as well as about the whole project. Yes, there is a ghost girl, a hotel, housekeeping ladies and things happen. But they are elusive in nature.
Having spent some time apart, we became more aware of our magical chemistry, our magnetic bond. We both realized we had unfinished business."
In regard to the genesis of the album,
Miho Hatori
is a Japanese singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known as a solo artist, co-founder of New York City band Cibo Matto, and as the first person to provide the voice of Noodle in the virtual band Gorillaz, as well as for her work with th ...
stated: "''Hotel Valentine'' is the
cinematic
Cinematic describes anything related to ''cinema''. It may refer to: any movie updates, cinema nights, cinematic review
Film-related
* Cinematic cutscene, a sequence in a video game that is not interactive
* Cinematic music, original music writt ...
bricolage
In the arts, ''bricolage'' ( French for "DIY" or "do-it-yourself projects") is the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a work constructed using mixed media.
The term ''bricolage'' ...
of Yuka and me. Our medium is music. For me, making an album is like raising a child. We don't know what kind of person (story) they will end up to be."
Critical reception
Heather Phares of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said that Honda and Hatori have included songs on the album "that feel connected to their earlier work, yet not overtly retro", and that the duo bring out the "contrast of brash and ethereal moods at the heart of their music to the fullest".
Phares felt the album is marked by two distinct sides, "with half the album representing the bustling, kinetic real world and the other reflecting the afterlife of the hotel's spectral guest".
She singled out "the pretty, mercurial pop of 'Déjà Vu', which features some extra-playful rapping from Hatori" as "a standout from the album's louder first half, along with the grooving '10th Floor Ghost Girl' and the irresistibly bouncy 'MFN'".
For its second half, Phares remarked that "'Empty Pool' showcase the duo's undimmed flair for seductive yet approachable atmospheres" and concluded by saying that ''Hotel Valentine'' "might be Cibo Matto's most whimsical album yet", giving it four out of five stars.
In a positive review of the album for ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', Nate Patrin stated that the mood "stands out the most", and that "the paranormal angle to this album is simultaneously odd and mournful, with enjoyable quirks like Hatori's deadpan rapping throughout and some characteristically goofy interjections from Reggie Watts on 'Housekeeping' offset by more uncertain perspectives and anxious melodies."
Elsewhere, Patrin noted that the different styles of the album—"occasional leanings towards deep-bass
microhouse
Microhouse, buftech or sometimes just minimal, is a subgenre of house music strongly influenced by minimalism and 1990s techno.
History
Microhouse has its roots in the minimal techno, bitpop (both developed in the early 1990s), and house (deve ...
revival ('Empty Pool') and
M.I.A.-goes-
!!!
!!! ( ), also known as Chk Chk Chk, is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1996 by lead singer Nic Offer. Members of !!! came from other local bands such as the Yah Mos, Black Liquorice and Pope Smashers. They are curr ...
dance-punk
Dance-punk (also known as disco-punk, punk-funk or techno-punk) is a post-punk subgenre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the disco, post-disco and new wave movements.Rip It Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 ...
('10th Floor Ghost Girl')
...the rickety but sinuous
acid-jazz charge of 'Emerald Tuesday'; the title track's
codeine
Codeine is an opiate and prodrug of morphine mainly used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea. It is also commonly used as a recreational drug. It is found naturally in the sap of the opium poppy, ''Papaver somniferum''. It is typically use ...
Tropicalia;
ndthe swooning
acoustic-guitar soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
of closer 'Check Out'"—are "engaging" and "sound
..unconcerned with trendwatching. They reveal how many possibilities Cibo Matto have always been open to".
Reviewing the album for ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'', Jon Young judged that the album feels "more effortless and fully realized than either ''
Stereo Type A'' or their celebrated 1996 debut ''
Viva! La Woman
''Viva! La Woman'' is the debut studio album by the band Cibo Matto, released on January 16, 1996, by Warner Bros. Records.
The tracks "Birthday Cake" and "Know Your Chicken" were first released as singles in 1995. Following the release of ''Viv ...
'', which both could seem too pleased with their own charming ingenuity".
Young highlighted that "''Valentine'' purports to be a concept album, though it's debatable how cohesive said concept is",
but also praised the duo's attempts to "inspire ''something''" in listeners through "contemplating 'the sea of horror' and exhorting, 'Don't close your eyes from fear' amid a slinky '60s-
lounge
Lounge may refer to:
Architecture
* Lounge, the living room of a dwelling
* Lounge, a public waiting area in a hotel's lobby
* Lounge, a style of commercial alcohol- bar
* Airport lounge, or train lounge (e.g., AMTRAK's Acela Lounge), a premium ...
vibe in 'Déjà Vu', or concluding, 'Long may we wave as endless light' on the final track, the delicate and spooky 'Check Out'."
Giving the album a score of 8 out of 10, Young summarized that as an ostensibly "supernatural tale, ''Hotel Valentine'' challenges the listener to reflect on life, death, and nothingness."
Austin Trunick of ''
Under the Radar'' labeled ''Hotel Valentine'' a "loose, wonky concept album", and opined that "MFN" is "the only track which approaches the off-kilter energy of a classic like 'Birthday Cake'; too much of the remainder dissolves into one another, and little else captivates."
''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
''s Chris Mincher wrote that while "the album's sonic patchwork is the intended result,
..the whimsical genre-jumping feels a bit tired; the rapid experimentation that came off as vibrant and brash in the '90s alt-music scene doesn't accomplish nearly as much in 2014."
Despite conceding that the duo "show occasional flashes of matured songwriting—particularly on the smoky, jazz-inflected title track", Mincher closed with "''Hotel Valentine'' is a fine addition to the limited canon of colorful
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...
all-girl
trip-hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tempos ...
records, but can't avoid sounding like the relic that label implies."
Track listing
All songs written by Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori.
*In the original press release, track 3 was referred to as "10th Fl. Ghost Girl", and track 9 was titled "Maid Song (House Keeping)".
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes.
*Cibo Matto – drum machines, keyboards,
phone apps and other sound devices,
programming, synth bass and voices
*Yuko Araki – drums (1 and 3)
*
Michael Brauer Michael Brauer is a New York-based mix engineer. He received a Grammy for "Best Pop Vocal Album" for his work on John Mayer's ''Continuum'', "Best Alternative Album" for Coldplay's ''Parachutes'', and also "Best Rock Album" for Coldplay's ''Viva la ...
–
mixing
*Sabino Cannone –
mastering (for MoReVoX)
*
Nels Cline
Nels Courtney Cline (born January 4, 1956) is an American guitarist and composer. He has been the guitarist for the band Wilco since 2004.
In the 1980s he played jazz, often in collaboration with his twin brother Alex Cline, Alex, a percussionis ...
– guitars (2, 5 and 10)
*
Simone Giuliani –
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*Ryan Dilligan – engineering
*Georgia – album artwork and additional cover art
*Miho Hatori – cover art collage
*Aaron Johnson – trombone (2 and 4)
*
Glenn Kotche
Glenn Kotche (born December 31, 1970 in Roselle, Illinois, United States) is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 40th greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008.
Prior to w ...
– drums (10)
*
Michael Leonhart
Michael Leonhart (born April 21, 1974) is an American jazz trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist.
Solo career
In 1992 Leonhart was honored with the first Grammy Award for outstanding high school musician in the US (he attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia ...
– trumpet (2 and 4)
*Emily O'Brien – album art design
*
Mauro Refosco
Mauro Refosco is a Brazilian percussionist. He is best known for working with singer David Byrne and as the former touring and session percussionist for the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. He is a member of the experimental supergroup A ...
– percussion (4, 6 and 8)
*Jared Samuel – bass (1, 2 and 8), keyboards (4, 8, 9), synth bass (1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9) and vocals (3, 8 and 9)
*
Reggie Watts
Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts (born March 23, 1972) is an American comedian, actor, beatboxer, and musician. His improvised musical sets are created using only his voice, a keyboard, and a looping machine. Watts refers to himself as a "disinf ...
– special guest vocals (5 and 9)
*Douglas Wieselman – saxophone (3 and 6)
Charts
References
{{Authority control
2014 albums
Cibo Matto albums
Albums produced by Yuka Honda
Albums produced by Miho Hatori
Concept albums