DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Experimental Compilations along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases
Hailing from Melbourne
Perfect for fans of classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass plus other genres. He also runs A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to issuing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, with contributors ranging from London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist 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 also functions as a neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while 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; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul 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, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, spooky vocal harmonies and end-times grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol to deliver pounding ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin-based artist's hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
