🔗 Share this article

Based in Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 compilation, AU/NZ jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

Back in 2017, the imprint put out I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while 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 includes contributions from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the RHCP bass player, which is brilliantly accomplished: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz as Flea advocates for peace and love. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet featured on 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, in which minimal hints of keys and wind instruments tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones collaborates with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.