# USAO

Canonical: https://www.hdrr.info/artists/usao

- Genres: Happy Hardcore
- Tracked releases: 186
- Latest release: 29 May 2026
- Spotify followers: 69,061
- Spotify popularity: 41/100

USAO is a Japanese hardcore and hardstyle producer, a HARDCORE TANO*C mainstay since 2006 whose track 'Big Daddy' became a rhythm-game phenomenon.

USAO is one of the engines of Japan's hardcore machine: Masaharu Kubota has been releasing since 2006 as part of HARDCORE TANO*C (the doujin collective at the heart of the [J-core](/new-j-core-releases) scene), and his catalogue on HDRR's radar, at roughly 186 tracked releases, is among the largest we follow.

### TANO*C and the doujin school

He debuted on the collective's "TANO*C COREnival" compilation, spending his first years in [frenchcore](/new-frenchcore-releases) and tribecore before founding his own label, UOM Records, in 2007 and releasing his debut album "Kick's For Liberation" in 2009. From there the style shifted toward [hardstyle](/new-hardstyle-releases) and jumpstyle (the lane where he'd produce his signature work), with side aliases handling everything else: Shandy Kubota for dubstep and vocal work, DJ Nanashi for hands-up material.

### The Big Daddy effect

"Big Daddy" is the crossover story: a Japanese hardstyle anthem that spread through rhythm games (WACCA, maimai DX, PUMP IT UP) and introduced a generation of arcade players to the harder styles. That rhythm-game pipeline is J-core's superpower, and USAO's tracks are all over it. On HDRR's tracking, "Big Daddy" leads, with "Azathoth" and "RAISE IT UP" behind it, and his scene runs deep alongside peers like [DJ Myosuke](/artists/dj-myosuke) and [REDALiCE](/artists/redalice).

### On the radar

Every new USAO release lands on the [Hardcore Release Radar](/playlists/hardcore-release-radar) or [Hardstyle Release Radar](/playlists/hardstyle-release-radar) the day it hits Spotify, with standouts charting in the [Hardcore Top 100](/hardcore-top-100). The full tracked catalogue is listed above.

### FAQ

**Who is USAO?**

USAO is the alias of Masaharu Kubota, a Japanese producer active in the doujin scene since 2006 as part of the HARDCORE TANO*C collective. He runs his own UOM Records label and is one of J-core's most versatile veterans.

**What is USAO's biggest track?**

'Big Daddy': a hardstyle anthem that spread through Japanese rhythm games like WACCA, maimai and PUMP IT UP. It's also his most popular release on HDRR's tracking, ahead of 'Azathoth' and 'RAISE IT UP'.

**What genre is USAO?**

He moves across the whole Japanese hardcore spectrum: J-core, frenchcore, hardtek and especially hardstyle, which has defined his sound since around 2009.