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From Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release 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 icy, atmospheric ambience to pulsating breakbeats and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.

Back in 2017, the imprint put out 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 neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, whereas Who Cares?, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for peace and love. “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, one could envision Blumberg earning the Best Original Song award in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from 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 on this deeply gloomy comeback, in which minimal hints of piano and flute tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this Madrid-based cellist’s gothic masterpiece with industrial shades featured in a Dune soundtrack, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer collaborates with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides varied cloud-rap beats courtesy of Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in as he observes the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.