DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases
Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Antipodean jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Up next Going Back to Sleep out now
The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, 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 issuing charmingly moody experimental pop music, with contributors ranging from London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.
In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, 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. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited with fans of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz 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
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
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision the work of this Madrid cellist's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades on the soundtrack to Dune, with its thundering drums, metallic shrieks, spooky vocal harmonies and end-times grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he observes 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, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.
