🔗 Share this article

From Melbourne
Recommended if you like classic jangle-pop compilations, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Latest release 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass plus other genres. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a neatly drawn guide to some of the best twee-pop groups making music now. Sydney band Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, 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; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection 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
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz 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
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet taken from the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this deeply gloomy comeback, as delicate traces of keys and wind instruments shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music on the soundtrack to Dune, due to its seismic drum work, metallic shrieks, eerie chorals and apocalyptic grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones teams up with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper 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 world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, from runaway truck to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.