DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Experimental Compilations and This Week's Best New Tracks
Based in Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 compilation, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass plus other genres. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to issuing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and the prolific underground figure 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. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, 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. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
The Top New Releases This Week
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul where Flea pleads for tranquility and compassion. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”
Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home best original song in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried featured on the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this Madrid-based cellist’s dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rides varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he surveys the landscape of drug dealing.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.