DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections and The Week's Top Fresh Releases
From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo 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. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which doubles as a neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is one of the year’s underrated gems, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, draw equally from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the RHCP bass player, which is brilliantly accomplished: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling for peace and love. “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 best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter captures the full spectrum of a sigh on this deeply gloomy comeback, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, due to its seismic drum work, metallic shrieks, eerie chorals and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol to deliver pounding ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino flows over diverse, ethereal rap production by 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 garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's hazy daydream about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.
