DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Best New Tracks

From Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released 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 quasi-sequel to that record which also functions as a succinct overview to some of the best twee-pop groups currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is one of the year’s underrated gems, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), explore beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by 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.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz as Flea advocates for tranquility and compassion. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, one could envision Blumberg earning the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried included in 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 in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision the work of this Madrid cellist's industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in as he observes the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.