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Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, from artists as disparate as London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was 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 doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, whereas the band Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling for harmony and affection. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, you can imagine Blumberg winning the Best Original Song award in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter 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
You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, due to its seismic drum work, screeching metallic sounds, haunting choral passages and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production from Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, from runaway truck to the musician from Austin's woozy reflection about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.