Matthew Xue's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections along with This Week's Top Fresh Releases
From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop
Up next 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 pulsating breakbeats and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and renowned underground polymath 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. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which doubles as a succinct overview to some of the best twee-pop groups currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, channel equal parts Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-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, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter captures the full spectrum of a sigh on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of piano and flute shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, spooky vocal harmonies and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones collaborates with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the landscape of drug dealing.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s dazed reverie about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
