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Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now

Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to issuing charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

Back in 2017, the imprint put out 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 quasi-sequel to that record which doubles as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), explore beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados 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, which is brilliantly accomplished: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul where Flea pleads for harmony and affection. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, one could envision Blumberg earning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried taken from the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this richly despondent return, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, spooky vocal harmonies and apocalyptic grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the musician from Austin's dazed reverie about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.