Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations and The Week's Best New Tracks
From Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now
The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass plus other genres. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that massively punches above its weight when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, 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. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to some of the best twee-pop groups making music now. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, whereas 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 the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
The Top New Releases This Week
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and a magnificently realised one: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz as Flea advocates for harmony and affection. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”
Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, one could envision Blumberg earning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this stunning Seyfried duet included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this cellist from Madrid's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and apocalyptic 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 drums could knock you flat although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino flows over diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the drug trade.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.
