DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Top Fresh Releases

Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 compilation, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to pulsating breakbeats and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size 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 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. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which simultaneously serves as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the RHCP bass player, and a magnificently realised one: 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, one could envision Blumberg earning best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried included in the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this deeply gloomy comeback, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision the work of this Madrid cellist's industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he surveys the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, from runaway truck to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.