Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations and This Week's Top Fresh Releases
Hailing from Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Latest release The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, featuring a diverse roster including percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.
In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation 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 sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, blend influences from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from 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’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from 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. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”
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 Best Original Song award in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet featured on the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of keys and wind instruments shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones teams up with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from 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
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, from runaway truck to the Austin-based artist's woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.