DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with The Week's Best New Tracks
From Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 compilation, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released
The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, has built a reputation for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and beyond. 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, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist 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. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. 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 melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced among connoisseurs of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz as Flea advocates 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, one could envision Blumberg earning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried included in the soundtrack he composed for 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 tinge her fatigued disillusionment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine the work of this Madrid 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
The creative Austrian producer and singer teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol to deliver pounding ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over varied cloud-rap beats courtesy of Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he surveys the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.