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Based in Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, 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 effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass plus other genres. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to issuing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was 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 spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit 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 well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz with Flea calling for tranquility and compassion. “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 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this stunning Seyfried duet 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 on this deeply gloomy comeback, as delicate traces of piano and flute tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this cellist from Madrid's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and apocalyptic 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 drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over varied cloud-rap beats from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he surveys the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the musician from Austin's woozy reflection about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.