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Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop
Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is renowned for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from icy, atmospheric ambience to pulsating breakbeats and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, a collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into well-loved and frequently referenced with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul with Flea calling for peace and love. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, you can imagine Blumberg winning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, metallic shrieks, spooky vocal harmonies and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer joins forces with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol for some slamming ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering yet the melody approaches dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino flows over diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s woozy reflection about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.