DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections and This Week's Top Fresh Releases

Based in Melbourne
Recommended if you like classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, 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. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. The Sydney group Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, draw equally from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by 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 destined to be a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz where Flea pleads for peace and love. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, one could envision Blumberg earning best original song in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet included in the soundtrack he composed for 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 colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision the work of this Madrid cellist's industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, due to its seismic drum work, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist teams up with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, from runaway truck to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.