Matthew Xue's Intriguingly Atmospheric Experimental Compilations along with The Week's Best New Tracks
From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to pulsating breakbeats and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that massively punches above its weight when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.
The label's 2017 release was 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 also functions as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as an overlooked treasure of the year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, whereas Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from the enduring San Francisco indie group 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 almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
Fresh Tracks of the Week
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for harmony and affection. “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, you can imagine Blumberg winning the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet taken from the score for the film 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 flute shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this cellist from Madrid's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol for some slamming ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals courtesy of Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he observes the drug trade.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the musician from Austin's dazed reverie about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.
