tout est bien (sein zum tode) - a tribute to betwixt & between

Nov. 13, 2023 9:00 PM

This post was originally written for my Dreamwidth blog on the timestamp written above - the original formatting has been preserved whenever possible.

How does one define J-core?

As someone who's been an avid, yet casual enjoyer of the music genre for close to 13 years by this point, it's a question that's never really struck me with any real sense of curiosity until fairly recently. However, with the evergreen debacle over music trends rapidly swinging between revolution and stagnation, I took some time to think about the changes to J-core (and its influences) since I started listening to the genre back in 2010. Groups like HARDCORE TANO*C were the entry point to this type of music at the start of the last decade - but there's one name that's caught my eye for many years despite their arguably diminishing influence on the current scene, an artist who I've come to see as the bridge between the past and present of underground Japanese hardcore.

(For reference, HARDCORE TANO*C recently celebrated their 20th anniversary with a new album at time of writing, appropriately titled '20'. I haven't listened to it yet, but anyone in private correspondence will know my thoughts soon enough.)

Betwixt & Between was a regular contributor to the foundational years of both J-core and HARDCORE TANO*C. His style of freeform trance was a hallmark of the genre during the 2000s, creating an ethereal blend of traditional hardcore and trance elements that earned him the renown of artists both within and outside Japan. Though primarily known for this uniquely darker energetic sound, Betwixt & Between would experiment with various works that were more true to form for the genres he took inspiration from, like speedcore and DJ SHARPNEL-like breakcore. There's a clear influence of contemporary J-core trends that guides much of his music, but when listening through the perspective of the genre now, it feels refreshing to gauge the complex differences that defined what tracks were like during the period.

It's hard to find a readily complete discography of his work to listen to, partially due to the relative obscurity of formative J-core until the last year or so, but I'd like to offer a selection of some of my favourite tracks that best illustrate how revolutionary Betwixt & Between was as a composer. There's no better place to start... than the beginning.

City of Solitude is a track that absolutely shows its age when compared to any J-core track from the last five years, but there are a number of elements that feel very familiar to someone who's fond of other underground electronic genres nowadays like techcore. Betwixt & Between's style shines through in this composition, with the sharp leads drawing your attention right from the start contrasted with the deep techno kicks and sparing use of prominent snares that keep focusing your attention back towards the main melody as it develops. It's a track that displays a ruthless sense of simple efficiency at what it does, and it's not a stretch to say that this would be a defining characteristic of B&B's compositions that was further refined to elegance over the next eight years.

Many of Betwixt & Between's works during the early 2000s are lost to history for various reasons, but some are preserved through his frequent live performances through NRGetic Romancer, a label and series of live shows that he regularly contributed towards.

It's much easier to talk about the mix itself than what can be gathered of the Betwixt and Between style in mid-2005, but you can really feel a sense of progression starting to emerge in many of the unreleased tracks. Some of my personal standouts here are East of Eden, Liberation, and Reincarnation. All of these tracks use a very pronounced goa trance synth to emphasise the piercing leads that B&B was known for, creating a vibrant high-NRG take on freeform hardcore that feels revolutionary for the period. I'd dare argue that Liberation in particular leans more towards psytrance at some points, incorporating an extreme use of this style that borders on futuristic sounding - a befitting song title for a groundbreaking producer.

This mix also includes the track Disturbed Mind, which wouldn't be released for another two months following this set - much of what I previously iterated applies here too, but the track is pretty damn good by itself, so go take an isolated gander.

Betwixt & Between would start to mix elements of his different hardcore/trance influences together in his later tracks, leaning more towards one style or another rather than always innovating on his unique hybrids of the two. This is apparent with his contributions to DiGiTAL GENERATiON EP in 2008, Tindaros and Invoker. The former adopts a more trance-like approach to B&B's format, while the latter takes on a darker high-NRG tone reminiscent of the recently released HARDCORE SYNDROME. There's a clear diversification in what defines J-core from this period onwards, as the contributions of non-Japanese artists like JAKAZiD (who contributed to the first three HARDCORE SYNDROME compilations under his Joshka alias) would bring in a fresh set of inspirations to shake the genre's foundations.

A "new era" would soon bear ripe fruit, as HARDCORE SYNDROME 3 introduced a more diverse and energetic interpretation of J-core, with aspects of happy and UK hardcore added to the already diverse mixture of underground esotericism. Betwixt & Between would flex his own concept of this shifting trend with division 4, a track that incorporates all of the developments made throughout both the genre and his time as a music artist leading to its release. It skews towards the industrial hardcore tradition that a good section of HARDCORE TANO*C had started with, but there's a more dynamic melody built up with the fast-paced 'four on the floor' hardcore kicks that had become more pronounced in later B&B tracks. When people discuss Betwixt & Between as a music producer, they often refer to this period as the one that best defines his talent, as he was more willing to experiment with innovations from across the globe in making tracks that radicalised the definition of J-core as a medium.

This framework would be refined in B&B's contribution to the next iteration of HARDCORE SYNDROME, as Surging adopts a frontward-facing goa trance identity that's closely intertwined with J-core's changing definition as a genre. Many tracks from HARDCORE SYNDROME 4 share common ground in their basic aspects, but each artist takes great care in forming their own niche that demonstrates a break away from the binary of classifications like music genres and conventions.

(On a side note, Betwixt & Between would occasionally experiment with genres other than freeform and 'transitional' J-core after DiGiTAL GENERATiON EP -  he would produce a more traditional industrial hardcore track in City of Traitors for HARDCORE SYNDROME 2, a melodic speedcore contribution titled 12 little fragments of silence for SPEED BALL Z, and occasional collaborations with DJ TECHNORCH. They're all incredible tracks.)

All of the lessons and insights that were honed over the past eight years of music production culminated in Betwixt and Between's first solo album, Nanosecond Eternity. This compiled every aspect of his music from the very beginning, drawing upon nearly all the elements that had defined his music throughout the period working under NRGetic Romancer and TANO*C - the remasters of Awakening (previously subtitled East of Eden Pt.2) and City of Solitude are a poignant acknowledgement to the groups that started a genre's new history. If you only have time to listen to a portion of Betwixt & Between's discography, make it this album. I guarantee that it won't disappoint you.

B&B's final contribution to the HARDCORE SYNDROME series would be in the fifth installment, with the ominously titled tout est bien (Sein zum Tode) marking one of his final three original compositions. It feels like a complete package of every single aspect that defined the alias - the distinct supersaws and leads that early J-core was known for, with a rich high-NRG sound through the added noises, all neatly layered with the industrial hardcore kicks adding a heavy and dark punch to the overall tone. tout est bien was one of the very first doujin tracks I ever listened to back when I was first learning about the otaku subculture, so hearing it again with a name and face to remember all these years later evokes a sense of personally nostalgic gratitude.

Unfortunately, Betwixt & Between would pass away the following year, leaving behind a sizeable portion of his work that has never seen the light of day. His impact was widely felt throughout the J-core scene - HARDCORE TANO*C would soon step away from this type of J-core in favour of a more lively sound in future releases, while many of his unreleased tracks were kept under close supervision of close friend GULD. The last original track he produced and released would be So Sweet Bitter Days, a contribution to the very first Bright Colors compilation released by TANO*C at the end of 2011.

What inspired me to finally write this tribute was a comment left under the 2005 NRGetic Romancer live mix - "I often wonder how [Betwixt & Between] would have responded to the changing J-core scene as freeform and other trance-ish productions got phased out." I feel that it may be insensitive to dwell on that question any more than what has already been posited here, so I will refrain from making analyses on this comment out of respect. I will instead link a playlist containing what I originally found of his original works available on Youtube, so you can listen to a detailed record of his discography.

It is undeniable that Betwixt & Between was a significant influence towards Japanese hardcore, with his effects on the genre defining a transitional period for its sound that cannot be ignored today. Though J-core nowadays has a very different sound to the tracks composed 15 years ago, a portion of that change can be attributed to the works of trailblazers who were unbound by the limitations of pre-Internet music.

Thank you for the amazing musical talent you brought to a whole generation. May you rest in peace, Betwixt & Between.