DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with This Week's Best New Tracks
Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now
The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs 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, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.
Back in 2017, the imprint put out 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 quasi-sequel to that record which also functions as a carefully curated roadmap to some of the best twee-pop groups active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being an overlooked treasure of the year, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts 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; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul with Flea calling for tranquility and compassion. “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, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of keys and wind instruments tinge her fatigued disillusionment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, due to its seismic drum work, piercing industrial noises, spooky vocal harmonies and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino flows over diverse, ethereal rap production from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the landscape of drug dealing.
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 “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
