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Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing charmingly moody experimental pop music, with contributors ranging from the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which doubles as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, channel equal parts moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource among connoisseurs of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul as Flea advocates for peace and love. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, you can imagine Blumberg winning the Best Original Song award in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, where the slightest touches of keys and wind instruments colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals courtesy of Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.