Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Best New Tracks
Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that often traverse from icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to issuing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, with contributors ranging from London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and renowned underground polymath 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 simultaneously serves as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, whereas the band Who Cares?, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions 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. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, and a magnificently realised one: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for tranquility and compassion. “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 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, spooky vocal harmonies and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol 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, The UK's Jawnino flows over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals courtesy of Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he surveys the landscape of drug dealing.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.
