DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Best New Tracks

Hailing from Melbourne
Perfect for fans of classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

Back in 2017, the imprint put out 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 record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, draw equally from the styles of 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; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of all things delicate and deeply felt.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul as Flea advocates for tranquility and compassion. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried 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 deeply gloomy comeback, as delicate traces of piano and flute colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine the work of this Madrid cellist's industrial-tinged gothic opus playing over scenes in Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, haunting choral passages and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol 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
On new mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino alert and locked in as he observes the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe 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”.