Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases

Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 compilation, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to pulsating breakbeats and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and the prolific underground figure 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 quasi-sequel to that record which also functions as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, whereas the band Who Cares?, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions 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 stands as a humble compilation that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: 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
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this stunning Seyfried duet included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture the work of this Madrid cellist's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades on the soundtrack to Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and apocalyptic grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer collaborates with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino flows over varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he surveys the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.