DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases

Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 compilation, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Up next The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to issuing charmingly moody experimental pop music, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released 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 quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts making music now. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, present Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for harmony and affection. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, you can imagine Blumberg winning the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of keys and wind instruments tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he observes the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, from runaway truck to the Austin-based artist's woozy reflection about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.