# 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.

## 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. He joined a theater company, Osaka Himawari 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. On his birthday in second grade of high school, he received a looper, BOSS RC-505, 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.

## 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 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.
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.

## 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.

## 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 | Loopstation |
| 2019 | Grand Beatbox Battle | Warsaw, Poland | Top 4 | Loopstation |
| 2019 | Asian Beatbox Championship | Taiwan | 1 | Loopstation |
| 2021 | Grand Beatbox Battle | Warsaw, Poland | Elimination | Loopstation |
| 2021 | Grand Beatbox Battle | Warsaw, Poland | 1 | Tag Team Loopstation (with Rusy as SORRY) |
| 2021 | Grand Beatbox Battle | Warsaw, Poland | 2 | Crew (part of SARUKANI) |
| 2021 | Grand Beatbox Battle | Warsaw, Poland | 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) |
| 2018 | China Beatbox Championship | Beijing, China | Showcase |
| 2019 | Mynavi MIKAKUNIN Festival | Tokyo, Japan | Runner-up |
| 2020 | DADERINRIN @Ebisu LIQUIDROOM | Tokyo, Japan | Performing |
| 2020 | HaHaHa Osaka Creative Awards | Osaka, Japan | Performing |
| 2020 | Tap3x Dance | Toyonaka, Japan | Performing |
| 2020 | Drum'n'Bass Exchange 1st Anniversary | Osaka, Japan | Performing |
| 2020 | Online World Beatbox Championship | Beatbox Community's Discord | Judges |
| 2021 | One Night STAND @Shibuya Live House | Tokyo, Japan | Performing |

## Discography
### Albums

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

### Extended plays

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

### Singles
#### As lead artist

| Title | Year | Album |
| "Myten 2016" | 2016 | Non-album single |
| "Interview" | 2019 | Party |
| "This is 8bit" | 2019 | Party |
| "CO3" (feat. Kimura Rin) | 2019 | Non-album single |
| "Crazy Drive" | 2019 | NO LOOP NO LIFE |
| "NO LOOP NO LIFE" | 2019 | NO LOOP NO LIFE |
| "Sakura" (feat. Kimura Rin) | 2020 | Non-album single |
| "SARUKANI WARS" (feat. Kohey, Rusy & Kaji) | 2020 | Beat Pandemic |
| "Interview 2.0" | 2021 | Non-album single |
| "Psycho Looper 2.0" | 2021 | Psycho Looper 2.0 |
| "Psycho Looper 2.0" (Allen Mock remix) | 2021 | Psycho Looper 2.0 |
| "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) | 2020 | I Scream |
| "I Scream" (SO-SO beatbox) | 2020 | I Scream |
| "Renegade VIP" (SO-SO solo) | 2021 | ULTRA POWER |

## Concerts
### Co-headlining

* SARUKANI 1st Tour Live "#BKPK2022" (2022)

## Filmography
### Television shows

| Year | Program | Network | Roles | Ref. |
| 2021 | Sôkai jôhô variety Sukkiri!! | Nippon TV | Guest | |

### Musical theaters

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2019 | Koriyama Rhapsody | Background sound | Extras | |