🔗 Share this article

Based in Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Antipodean jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Latest release The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which also functions as a succinct overview to some of the best twee-pop groups active today. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from San Francisco indie stalwarts 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 almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz with Flea calling 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 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh on this richly despondent return, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this cellist from Madrid's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, metallic shrieks, spooky vocal harmonies and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer teams up with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he observes the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.