SO-SO

Sota Kato (加藤 創太, Katō Sōta, born October 13, 1999), better known as SO-SO is a Japanese beatboxer, looper, singer-songwriter and producer. He is currently a member of the beatbox crew SARUKANI.

For other uses, see So-so (disambiguation).
In this Japanese name, the surname is Kato.
SO-SO
Birth nameSota Kato
Born (1999-10-13) October 13, 1999
Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Beatboxer
  • singer-songwriter
  • composer
  • producer
  • DJ
Instrument(s)
  • Beatboxing
  • beatrhyming
  • vocals
  • loop machines
  • piano
  • keyboards
Years active2016–present
LabelsSokosoco
WebsiteOfficial website
Japanese name
Kanji加藤 創太
Hiraganaかとう　そうた
Katakanaカトウ ソウタ

Early life

Born in Osaka, when he took piano classes since he was 6 years old because he was influenced by his friends around him.[1] He joined a theater company, Osaka Himawari[2] from elementary school and 10 years into his junior school graduation. He was mainly an extra in musicals, movies, and dramas such as a student in the Showa era and as a child during the war. In his freshman year of high school, he watched beatbox videos on YouTube and self-taught.[3] On his birthday in second grade of high school, he received a looper, BOSS RC-505,[4] from his mother and started a loop station. Entered in Osaka College of Music in 2018, he studied composition, music theory, mixing and continues to produce music.[5]

Career

In April 2019, he became popular because he was the first Japanese beatboxer to enter the top 4 in the loopstation category of the international competition Grand Beatbox Battle held in Poland in July. He also won the championship in the loopstation category of the Asian Beatbox Championship[6] in Taiwan in the same year. In 2020, he formed the beatbox crew SARUKANI and duo group DOILii, with Nijiiro Samurai. He is also start working as a DJ in December 2020.

In October 2021, he participated in international competition Grand Beatbox Battle held in Poland, and his won the championship in category Tag-team Loopstation with teammate, Rusy as SORRY and runner-up in Crew with SARUKANI.

Styles

SO-SO has a high voice that produces a unique sound from his mouth. While self-taught beatboxing from the video Reeps One and starting looping every day, he was inspired by various music, one of which was so heavily influenced by Canadian DJ REZZ that he was fascinated by bass music. After that, he studied electronic game music, musicals and others, so he created his voice with his own musical view.[7]

SO-SO is known to have a unique style in the way of fashion, colorful clothes, wearing glasses and haircut style like as anime character Nobita.[8][9]

Other ventures

SO-SO has maintained numerous national endorsement deals in various industries throughout their career. He starred in the commercial for Fuji School Bag on 2019–2020. In April 2021, he is in commercial for footwear retails ABC-Mart.[10]

Performance in competitions
As participate on beatbox events
Years Competitions Held Result Notes
2017 Asian Beatbox Championship Taiwan Elimination Loopstation
2018 Beatbox Battle World Championship Berlin, Germany Elimination
2019 Grand Beatbox Battle Warsaw, Poland Top 4
Asian Beatbox Championship Taiwan 1
2021 Grand Beatbox Battle Warsaw, Poland Elimination
1 Tag Team Loopstation

(with Rusy as SORRY)

2 Crew

(part of SARUKANI)

Elimination Tag Team

(with Kaji as Wildcard Guys)

As appreciates on competitions or events
Years Competitions / events Held Notes
2018 12th GATSBY Creative Awards Tokyo, Japan Runner-up

(on music category)

China Beatbox Championship Beijing, China Showcase
2019 Mynavi MIKAKUNIN Festival Tokyo, Japan Runner-up
2020 DADERINRIN @Ebisu LIQUIDROOM[11] Performing
HaHaHa Osaka Creative Awards[12] Osaka, Japan
Tap3x Dance[13] Toyonaka, Japan
Drum'n'Bass Exchange 1st Anniversary[14] Osaka, Japan
Online World Beatbox Championship Beatbox Community's Discord Judges
2021 One Night STAND @Shibuya Live House[15] Tokyo, Japan Performing

Discography

Albums
Title Details
Party
Track listing
  1. Interview
  2. Switch It
  3. Midnight
  4. This is 8bit
  5. Psycho Looper
  6. Forest Fire
  7. Catastrophe
NO LOOP NO LIFE
  • Released: December 7, 2019
  • Label: Independent, TuneCore Japan
  • Formats: digital download
Track listing
  1. NO LOOP NO LIFE
  2. Renegade
  3. Camp Fire
  4. Crazy Drive
  5. This is 16bit
  6. Ground Bell
  7. Fighting for Someone
Party 2.0
  • Released: September 14, 2022
  • Label: Independent, TuneCore Japan
  • Formats: digital download
Track listing
  1. Error Sound
  2. SO-SO Exercise
  3. Crazy Drive (Boost the Engine)
  4. Hakai
  5. 2022
  6. Psycho Looper 2.0
  7. Switch It 2.0
  8. Interview 2.0
  9. This is 32 Bit
  10. Zooming!
  11. Aqua Splash (Album Edit)
  12. Sakura [2022 Remaster]
  13. Unknown Language

Extended plays
Title Details
Sakura (Remixes)
  • Released: March 9, 2020
  • Label: Independent, TuneCore Japan
  • Formats: digital download
Track listing
  1. Sakura (PIKASONIC remix)
  2. Sakura (So-Ma:p remix)
  3. Sakura (4* remix)
  4. Sakura (NEKOSAN remix)
Beat Pandemic
  • Released: June 6, 2020
  • Label: Independent, TuneCore Japan
  • Formats: digital download
Track listing
  1. SARUKANI WARS (feat Kohey, Rusy & Kaji)
  2. Exercise
  3. Seaboard (SORRY remix) (with Rusy)
  4. Stranger
  5. NO LOOP NO LIFE (Fellsius remix) (with Fellsius)

As lead artist
Title Year Album
"Myten 2016" 2016 Non-album single
"Interview" 2019 Party
"This is 8bit"
"CO3"

(feat. Kimura Rin)

 Non-album single
"Crazy Drive" NO LOOP NO LIFE
"NO LOOP NO LIFE"
"Sakura"

(feat. Kimura Rin)

 2020 Non-album single
"SARUKANI WARS"

(feat. Kohey, Rusy & Kaji)

 Beat Pandemic
"Interview 2.0" 2021 Non-album single
"Psycho Looper 2.0" Psycho Looper 2.0
"Psycho Looper 2.0" (Allen Mock remix)
"2022" 2022 Non-album single

As promotional singles
Title Year Album
"Darkness" 2019 Maronie Fashion Grand Prix
"Zooming!" 2020 ZOOM Vocal Proccesor V3
"I Scream"

(with Masayoshi Iimori)

 I Scream
"I Scream"

(SO-SO beatbox)

"Renegade VIP"

(SO-SO solo)

 2021 ULTRA POWER

Concerts

Co-headlining
  • SARUKANI 1st Tour Live "#BKPK2022" (2022)[16]

Filmography

Television shows
Year Program Network Roles Ref.
2021 Sôkai jôhô variety Sukkiri!! Nippon TV Guest [17]

Musical theaters
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2019 Koriyama Rhapsody Background sound Extras [18]

References
  1. アヴァンギャルド (2021-02-22). "遊び心の原点。｜SO-SO" (in Japanese).
  2. "加藤創太（大阪【江坂スタジオ】・高等部）". Himawari Theater (in Japanese).
  3. Hamada, Rin (2019-12-12). "「自分を信じて進む」 若きアジアチャンピオン ビートボクサーSO-SO". Boy Meets Art (in Japanese).
  4. "島村楽器梅田ロフト店お得意様アーティストレビュー！【ヒューマンビートボクサー、SO-SO】". Shimamura (in Japanese). 2020-07-30.
  5. "so-so（ビートボックス）の本名！いったい何者？出身地や経歴もチェック" (in Japanese). 2021-03-08.
  6. "日本代表が2部門でアジアチャンピオンに！Asia Beatbox Championship 2019". Japan Beatbox Association (in Japanese). 2019-07-28.
  7. Mochizuki, Tomohisa (2021-03-23). "The Beat Looper Competing All Over the World: SO-SO on the Frontline of Beatboxing". Block.fm.
  8. Shin, Dong-yoon (2019-11-01). "WHY WE LOVE SO-SO'S NOT SO SO-SO BATTLE STRATEGY". Human Beatbox.
  9. "SO-SOの年齢、大学は？ビートボックスの経歴、海外の評価は？人気のビートボクサー！" (in Japanese). 2021-04-13.
  10. "アシックス「Evoride2 knit」、ABCマート限定モデル発売！ヒューマンビートボクサー「SO-SO(ソーソー)」を 起用したWEBCMを放映。". ABC-Mart (in Japanese). 2021-04-15.
  11. "Eggs Presents「DADARINRIN」supported by SILAS" (in Japanese).
  12. "HaHaHa Osaka Creative Awards" (in Japanese).
  13. "TAP たっぷり タップダンス！ official twitter" (in Japanese).
  14. "DnB Koryukai twitter" (in Japanese).
  15. "One Night STAND post status on Twitter". 2021-08-26.
  16. "SARUKANIのチケット情報". ePlus (in Japanese).
  17. "世界が熱狂 ヒューマンビートボクサー SO-SO (21)". Nippon TV (in Japanese). 2021-03-08.
  18. "松村武が大和郡山の文化もとに紡ぐ、3人の"ちよ"の物語「郡山ラプソディ」" (in Japanese). 2019-08-15.
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