🔗 Share this article

Hailing from Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to issuing 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 compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which also functions as a neatly drawn guide to some of the best twee-pop groups making music now. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, present Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, channel equal parts 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; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s almost certain to become deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of all things delicate and deeply felt.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for harmony and affection. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, metallic shrieks, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer collaborates with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting 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, The UK's Jawnino flows over varied cloud-rap beats from Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.