Matthew Xue's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections along with The Week's Top Fresh Releases
From Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Antipodean jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Up next Going Back to Sleep out now
Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing charmingly moody experimental pop music, with contributors ranging from percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.
Back in 2017, the imprint put out I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which also functions as a neatly drawn guide to some of the best twee-pop groups active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, 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 the band Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by the enduring San Francisco indie group 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 destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
This Week’s Best New Tracks
Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and a magnificently realised one: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling for harmony and affection. “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 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision this cellist from Madrid's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, spooky vocal harmonies and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer teams up with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rolls over varied cloud-rap beats from Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the landscape of drug dealing.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the musician from Austin's hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.