Matthew Xue's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections along with The Week's Best New Tracks
From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that often traverse from gelid ambient music 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 releasing charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of 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, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.
The Top New Releases This Week
Flea – A Plea
A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and a magnificently realised one: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul as Flea advocates for harmony and affection. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”
Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, one could envision Blumberg earning best original song in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried taken from the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this deeply gloomy comeback, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino flows over varied cloud-rap beats by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he observes the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe chugs along entirely at its own pace, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.
