DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations and This Week's Top Fresh Releases
Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Up next Going Back to Sleep out now
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to pulsating breakbeats and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to issuing charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.
The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.
The Top New Releases This Week
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling for harmony and affection. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!”
Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, 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, 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 industrial-tinged gothic opus playing over scenes in Dune, due to its seismic drum work, screeching metallic sounds, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol 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 rides diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino alert and locked in as he observes the drug trade.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
