Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with The Week's Best New Tracks
Hailing from Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now
The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.
The label's 2017 release was 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 record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by the enduring San Francisco indie group 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 music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz where Flea pleads for harmony and affection. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”
Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this cellist from Madrid's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol for some slamming ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he surveys the drug trade.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe chugs along entirely at its own pace, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin-based artist's woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.