🔗 Share this article Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations and This Week's Top Fresh Releases Hailing from Melbourne Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, atmospheric pop Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and the prolific underground figure 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 record that acts as a companion piece which simultaneously serves as a carefully curated roadmap to some of the best twee-pop groups active today. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being one of the year’s underrated gems, offer Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane. On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional. Fresh Tracks of the Week Flea – A Plea An uncommon single release from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz as Flea advocates for harmony and affection. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!” Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, one could envision Blumberg earning 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 paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of keys and wind instruments colour her weary disappointment. Umor Rex – Lo Animal One might readily envision this Madrid-based cellist’s gothic masterpiece with industrial shades on the soundtrack to Dune, with its thundering drums, metallic shrieks, eerie chorals and apocalyptic grandeur. Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up Austrian visionary Zora Jones joins forces with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing yet the melody approaches dream-pop. Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rolls over varied cloud-rap beats courtesy of Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the landscape of drug dealing. Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper Helmed 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 hazy daydream about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.