MH: Kind of, yeah.

YCH: I really love this band called Death Grips—I really, really like them a lot, and they’re pretty new. I like D’Angelo.

THC: Cibo Matto is in some ways from Japan and in other ways from New York City. What influences has this had on your music?

YCH: The fact that we’re Japanese-influenced music? I’m sure there are a lot [of influences], but it’s very hard for us to tell because we are Japanese-Americans. But I think Miho and I definitely grew up there, so there’s some ways that we think that are different. And also I think the fact that we live in a foreign country, we have this alien status that probably influences our mind and philosophy. But we are not really that conscious of it—we’re just being ourselves.

THC: Do you think the alien status has shown up more over time through your music, or is that something that you started out with and have had to overcome?

MH: I think both. I think there are things that are difficult that we have to overcome, but there are things that we’re proud of. I think if I make music with somebody else....it will be different. It’s more about Yuka and me and our chemistry. I’ve never thought of it as because Yuka is Japanese. I think of Yuka as “Yuka.”

YCH: I think of Miho as a blonde woman.