DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases
Based in Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that often traverse from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.
The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to some of the best twee-pop groups making music now. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, draw equally from 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; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz as Flea advocates for peace and love. “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, one could envision Blumberg earning best original song in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried taken from the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of piano and flute shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer collaborates with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in as he observes the landscape of drug dealing.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.
