DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases
Based in Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now
The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is renowned for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing charmingly moody experimental pop music, with contributors ranging from the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath 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 simultaneously serves as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being one of the year’s underrated gems, present Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, 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 the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads 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, you can imagine Blumberg winning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried included in his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this deeply gloomy comeback, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this cellist from Madrid's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones joins forces with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he surveys the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, from runaway truck to the musician from Austin's woozy reflection about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.
