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[Track]
1.Ura Omote 01 / 9:58
2.Ura Omote 02 / 9:58
3.Ura Omote 03 / 9:58
4.Ura Omote 04 / 9:58
5.Ura Omote 05 / 9:58
The Japanese word “Ura Omote” means “front and back.”
Many people try to show only their front-facing side while hiding their hidden side.
However, the face they try to keep hidden eventually reveals itself.
Trying to conceal it through the concept of Ura Omote is meaningless—everything ultimately comes to the surface.
I recorded the bustle of the city.
In the streets, electronic noise—inaudible to the human ear—buzzes faintly.
People unconsciously take in even those hidden sounds.
Ura Omote 01
The restaurant where I stopped for a meal was hectic with the sounds of conversations between customers and waiters and the clashing of dishes. It is strange that I can feel some kind of peace in spite of all the noise, which does not make me feel at ease.
Ura Omote 02
A handheld PCM recorder intercepted the electronic noise of the city. There is a chirping sound in the city that I cannot understand what kind of electronic noise it is. I had never thought that there were so many sounds that cannot be captured by the human ear, and when I feel somewhat preoccupied, I may be sensing this kind of electromagnetic noise subconsciously.
Ura Omote 03
It is very quiet in the back alleys of downtown. Just one street away from the shopping streets, there are rows of old houses where one can feel the life of the people. The conversations of the people who have lived here for a long time are full of friendliness and humanity, neutralizing the coldness of the urban buildings.
Ura Omote 04
The electronic noise continues. It seems to cover a large area of the city, and no matter where you walk, you seem to be monitored. While electronic and communication technologies have developed and become more convenient, some people are finding it difficult to live without them. In a world where technology has become so commonplace that we no longer even feel the benefits of it, what should we as human beings do now?
Ura Omote 05
An ordinary life is very precious. People sometimes complain of boredom, but it is very difficult for them to realize that they are so full that they can feel boredom. There is nothing wrong with living in boredom. Life begins and simply ends. That is all we are doing.
credits
releases June 25, 2025
All tracks recorded, mixed, mastered by Betts(JP).
Recorded 2025 at Betts(JP)’s Studio, in Japan
Photography, Cover designed by Betts (JP)
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The music he creates expresses the ordinary life and the scenery of the neighborhood.
Betts(JP) is an electronic sound artist from Okayama, Japan. He is a multi-instrumentalist who mainly plays live instruments such as guitar, but also uses various instruments. He uses field recordings in his works and edits them on the computer.
The performance is done with very little equipment, just a guitar and a microphone connected to two delay loopers, and the electronic droning is processed by computer in real time. Starting with his second release, “Misago,” the strict limit of five songs per piece, each 9 minutes and 58 seconds long, has given him more freedom and a wider range of expression.
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