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From Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, featuring a diverse roster including percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, 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. More recently, it has issued 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 active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, channel equal parts moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, and a magnificently realised one: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz as Flea advocates for harmony and affection. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!”

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 breathtaking duet with Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of piano and flute tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, metallic shrieks, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer joins forces with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino flows over diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he observes the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, from runaway truck to the musician from Austin's woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.