DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations and The Week's Best New Tracks
Based in Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 compilation, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that often traverse from chilled-out soundscapes to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and the prolific underground figure 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. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which doubles as a neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, contribute 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, while Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
On other parts of the compilation, 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. This is a modest collection that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz with Flea calling 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, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried 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 on this richly despondent return, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this Madrid-based cellist’s gothic masterpiece with industrial shades featured in a Dune soundtrack, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, haunting choral passages and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production from Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he surveys the drug trade.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, from runaway truck to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
