🔗 Share this article

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

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to pulsating breakbeats plus other genres. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, 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.

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 spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as an overlooked treasure of the year, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions 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’s an unassuming compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling for harmony and affection. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, one could envision Blumberg earning best original song in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried featured on 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 richly despondent return, in which minimal hints of piano and flute shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this Madrid-based cellist’s dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, metallic shrieks, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker 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 an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he observes the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, from runaway truck to the musician from Austin's woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.