Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with The Week's Best New Tracks

Based in Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of 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, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts making music now. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), push into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, channel equal parts Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz as Flea advocates for tranquility and compassion. “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, one could envision Blumberg earning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this stunning Seyfried duet included in the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh on this richly despondent return, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, due to its seismic drum work, piercing industrial noises, spooky vocal harmonies and apocalyptic grandeur.

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

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino alert and locked in as he observes the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.