Timo Ellis

by Daphne CarrA talented multi-instrumentalist with a serious penchant for metal, Timo Ellis is best-known for his work as drummer in the female-led hip-hop/pop outfit Cibo Matto. Born in New York City, Ellis went to college at Evergreen State University in the Pacific Northwest where the birth of grunge and indie acts, such as Beat Happening, inspired him to play. Ellis recorded with two bands, Nubbin and Lemonade. After a brief move to Seattle, Ellis returned to New York City in 1994 and met with Russell Simins of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Sean Lennon, son of John Lennon, solo-artist and member of Cibo Matto who wanted to start a band called IMA. Together they supported Lennon's mother, Yoko Ono, on her album Rising. From this, Ellis met the rest of Cibo Matto and began playing live dates. Ellis played drums on Lennon's solo album, Into the Sun on Matador, accompanied him on tour, and was essentially adopted into the Cibo Matto family. He played a variety of instruments on Cibo Matto's Stereotype A and his own band, simply called Timo, began accompanying them on live dates. This resulted in the production of a solo album, entitled The Enchanted Forest of Timo Ellis, which features a mishmash of styles from Latin ("El Serape") to metal ("Lite Brite") with a serious lean toward Brian Wilson-style arrangement.