DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections and This Week's Top Fresh Releases
Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from gelid ambient music 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 charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath 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 spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to some of the best twee-pop groups active today. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being an overlooked treasure of the year, 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, while Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from San Francisco indie stalwarts 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 well-loved and frequently referenced with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling 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, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried featured on his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of keys and wind instruments shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture the work of this Madrid cellist's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, due to its seismic drum work, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones collaborates with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rides varied cloud-rap beats courtesy of Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he surveys the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s dazed reverie about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
