DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections along with This Week's Best New Tracks
From Melbourne
Recommended if you like classic jangle-pop compilations, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now
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 churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.
Back in 2017, the imprint put out 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 spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a neatly drawn guide 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 an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, channel equal parts Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul where Flea pleads 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 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried included in the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy 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 the work of this Madrid cellist's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades on the soundtrack to Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, spooky vocal harmonies and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones teams up with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rides varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines 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, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.
