New Le Makeup: Life Intonation

Osaka artist Le Makeup’s recent Life Intonation EP feels like part compliment to last year’s Hyper Earthy, and also a bit of a stab at wider recognition. The six songs gathered here and put out at the very end of January build on the soft meditations he pivoted too last year, using splashes of guitar, soft synthesizer melodies and machine-created beats to capture snapshots of daily life in tumultuous times. It’s a slightly bigger role out, too. Hyper Earthy exists on streaming services, but Life Intonation is there from the get go (though you can also nab it as a free download). However you listen to it, the EP finds Le Makeup continuing to explore this style, from the vocal-grazed “Red Tinged Memories” to the dissonant clattering — making way for a simple but sticky hook — of “Gullwing.” “Security” even flashes back a bit towards his more dance-oriented sound, albeit a little more understated than the Esthe. No radical changes here, just proof there is plenty of space to continue exploring. Listen above.