DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with This Week's Best New Tracks

Based in Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 compilation, Antipodean jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now

Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to driving drum and bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, 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.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, a collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a carefully curated roadmap to some of the best twee-pop groups active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, draw equally from 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 bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul where Flea pleads for peace and love. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried featured on the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter depicts all the nuances of melancholy in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine the work of this Madrid cellist's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music on the soundtrack to Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, spooky vocal harmonies and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino flows over varied cloud-rap beats from Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the drug trade.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, from runaway truck to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.