Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Top Fresh Releases
Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 compilation, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Latest release The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to pulsating breakbeats plus other genres. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, 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 collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. This year saw the release of 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 currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, draw equally from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz with Flea calling for tranquility and compassion. “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 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this breathtaking duet with 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 on this deeply gloomy comeback, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine the work of this Madrid cellist's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music playing over scenes in Dune, due to its seismic drum work, metallic shrieks, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol for some slamming ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rides varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
