ARTIST COLLECTION 4: Kato
Below the Surface Docuseries AC5: Kato
Join Kai (Founder of Sango) as he interviews Kato about his journey as a DJ and fashion up-cycler.
Kato. A name well known in the North Hollywood creative scene that will spread across the globe in the near future. After learning his passions, drive, mastery, and achievements you’ll understand why we stand strongly by this forecast.
AC4: Sango x Kato Garments
AC4: Kato Pop-Up
Sango hosted an event in a stunning 2-story creative space in Hollywood to curate all of the love, sweat, and dreams put into the AC4 with the multi hyphenate artist, Kato.
Series: Day In The Life With The Gang
ABOUT THE ARTIST
A multi-hyphenate artist with music as the pulse and thread as the reality.
Kato. A name well known in the North Hollywood creative scene that will spread across the globe in the near future. After learning his passions, drive, mastery, and achievements you’ll understand why we stand strongly by this forecast.
When people in the creative community hear his name, they don’t associate it with just one skillset or category. It’s a name that is connected to good spiritual energy and a master of many passions. Kato is a clothing designer, stylist, DJ, music producer, and a previous professional yoyoer. He has worked with reputable brands such as Adidas, Tiffany & Co., Birdhouse Skateboards, YoYoFactory and with successful artists such as JID, Smino, DJ Mustard, Duckwrth, Jordan Ward, TWRK, Falcons, Joe Kay, and many more. Kato’s most recent adventure was traveling throughout U.S. and Europe for the JID & Smino “Love is 4Ever” tour. The most exciting part is that Kato is just getting started.
Growing up in Cupertino of the Bay Area, Kato has always been the kid who would pay keen attention to his fascinations and have an eccentric approach to his hobbies. Obsessive is the perfect word to describe it.
It all began with skateboarding in big parking lots. Kato credits a majority of his success to this creative sport and the values he learned. As soon as he put his smooth DC Titan’s on the black sticky grip tape for the first time, his youthful heart knew it was a perfect match he was willing to give his blood, sweat, and tears for.
Kato became obsessed. It was all he wanted to do from morning to night.
If you have tried skateboarding before, you know how frustrating and painful it can be. From simply trying to stand stationary on a board to slipping out and wondering how you suddenly got a perfect view of the blue sky with scrapes all over your body.
This challenge was fun for Kato. Although he couldn’t ollie for an entire two years he stayed committed and persistent in getting better everyday as he skated around town.
As Kato became increasingly obsessed with skating, he unknowingly ingrained values in his ethos that became prevalent throughout his life; Being a part of culture and growing his community.
When you get deep into skateboarding, you: garner a group of close friends, venture to find new locations, break societal norms, buy stylish / affordable clothing from the local skate shop, learn the unspoken rules, and support everyone in your posse physically and mentally. Once you have experienced this feeling of community, there is no going back. It’s an amazing feeling, especially when you’re viewed as a criminal by outsiders.
Throughout his years of skateboarding, Kato was introduced to the music scene by his friends and immediately bought his first $100 Mitchell guitar after Christmas day.
Transitioning his practice from skateboarding to playing the guitar was seamless. Play everyday, never stop learning, teach yourself, and persistence was Kato’s motto. With this way of thinking, Kato was able to master the guitar in no time.
While he was going to college parties, he noticed a new genre of music he immediately fell in love with. EDM.
Steve Aoki and The Bloody Beetroots were constantly in his rotation during their underground days. Specifically, Steve Aoki was a big inspiration due to being a Japanese American breaking barriers in a completely white scene.
As you might expect, Kato saved up his money to buy his first Pioneer DJM CDJ/DJM 400 set and downloaded Traktor to spin his first tracks. Without using YouTube or any lessons, he dove straight in and played with the DJ set and software every single day until he figured it out on his own. This is a pure quality you tend to find in true genuine artists.
Once Kato began to improve his craft in DJing and producing beats, he started to bring his set everywhere with him. From 5 person hangouts, to small kickbacks, to bigger parties, to clubs, and then to big events, Kato continued to master his understanding of music and reading the crowd. This eventually led to a DJ/Production duo known as Tastebreakers with his long time brother Waseel. As a duo, the two aimed to create and inspire at the heart of all their work. From DJ sets to multiple full-fledged YouTube series’, they with the assistance of creative director Taylor Jade rode infinitely into the sunset for years. After both coming into a point of needing to grow, Kato and Waseel decided to peacefully part ways and continue on their separate journeys. Since, Kato has birthed Cmd + Z and Waseel continues to produce for tomorrow’s allstars under the Basewood Studios roof in Downtown LA. To date, Kato’s most memorable performance was just last year at Paisley Park with Jordan Ward and Duckwrth (Prince’s private estate & production complex).
After designing his first pieces of DJ merch, Kato realized how it connected him back to his youthful skateboarding days and infatuation with streetwear. Having a deep passion and love for creating music and designing clothes, he simply combined the two under his name Kato.
“Music is the pulse, thread is the reality.” says Kato as he explains figuratively and literally of his current vision and purpose.
Musically, 2021 was a big year as he independently dropped an EP titled Songs About Last Year as KATO. At the end of the year, he released an 11-song album x clothing collection titled Full Circle as Cmd + Z. (Stay tuned for our upcoming documentary as we break down how he designed garments specifically for each song in the Full Circle album and how it was ingeniously packaged together.)
As Kato recently wrapped up an unforgettable journey as Jordan Ward’s DJ for Duckwrth’s Supergood tour, he is currently refocusing on his clothing brand Cmd + Z he started in mid 2019.
Kato x Jordan Ward backstage on Supergood Tour
Once you walk through Kato’s home front door and take five steps in, you can immediately see a meticulously organized showroom with racks and shelves displaying Kato’s beautifully designed pieces. In the corner you can see his white Juki sewing machine layered in streetwear stickers adjacent to pieces of cut fabrics and garments for rebirth. Kato says there is nothing better than working at his home / creative studio in North Hollywood due to his workaholic traits.
Since 2019, he has designed over hundreds of pieces in his catalog. Kato diligently scavenges for good quality garments year round and upcycles them to forward thinking pieces with thoughtful details and storytelling.
The name Cmd + Z is an homage to his hometown, Cupertino - Home of Apple. If you have ever used a Mac, iMac, or Macbook you have probably used the shortcut Cmd + Z to undo a previous action.
Kato is an expert at thrifting high quality aged garments and creating a new life, purpose, and story with his vision. However, in order to do so, he has to undo the original garment before adding new value into each design. Learning this quality was Kato’s biggest root in the fruitful apple tree of creations.
To dig even deeper into Kato’s thinking; “If you are undoing, then you are unlearning to master a new process or way of thinking.”
Typically, we are groomed through society from childhood to receive a college education, land a stable job, get a house, and retire. “Creative passions ‘can’t’ be a career” is a popular motif within the creative community.
“If you want to be an artist, you have to unlearn this way of thinking.” Kato passionately states. “I want everyone who is passionate about being creative to believe that they can do it and know it’s possible if you try.”
In order to achieve this way of thinking, Kato credits meditation, environment, and mindset.
Meditation is the final but essential activity in his morning routine as it helps prepare for his creative zone and on-the-fly schedule. By committing to this practice, Kato feels more balanced, connected, and aware of himself and his intention for the day. “Being able to train a muscle you never thought you had and being able to control your mind is the best feeling of achievement and growth.”
“You are a by-product of your environment.” Kato states as he appreciatively glances at his living room creative studio and housemates as they dance and produce music. Having the ability to see his designs in the living room creative studio is great for two things: Visibility of growth and healthy pressure.
Being able to see your collection throughout the years, you are able to physically see how much you have improved in a peripheral glance. When your business is constantly in front of you, it’s a reminder that nobody is going to do it but oneself. And on top of that, being able to see your supportive best friends right next to you chasing their dreams is even more inspiration to chase your own.
Mindset is a constant work in progress for Kato as it’s a big priority of his. Being a multi-hyphenate creative can be mentally overwhelming and time consuming. As he credited meditation and environment to be essential, his approach and perspective to mindset sets him apart from others. “Never force a stitch or beat.”
No matter how much of a workaholic Kato can be, he carefully respects his signs of burnout / creative block. This gives him an opportunity to remove himself from the creative work and get outside to tap back into his rooted inspirations.
As soon as Kato is ready to fully immerse himself back into the creative grind, his mindset is simple. “Strive for perfection. Improve. Improve on my mistakes. Be persistent, consistent, and not resistant. Follow my heart and find my truth.”
Stay tuned for our upcoming documentary to learn more about Kato’s process, mindset, and perspective on how he achieved his success.
Written by Kai Matsukuma
Kato's Instagram: @alexkatoCmd + Z Instagram: @command.zWebsite: www.presscommandz.comEP: Songs About Last YearAlbum: Full Circle
