DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections and This Week's Top Fresh Releases

Based in Melbourne
Perfect for fans of classic jangle-pop compilations, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between chilled-out soundscapes to driving drum and bass and much more. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to issuing quirky and introspective pop experiments, featuring a diverse roster including 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 collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which doubles as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, blend influences from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s almost certain to become well-loved and frequently referenced among connoisseurs of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and it is superbly executed: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul with Flea calling for peace and love. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, you can imagine Blumberg winning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried featured on the soundtrack he composed for 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, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
It's not hard to picture this Madrid-based cellist’s industrial-tinged gothic opus playing over scenes in Dune, due to its seismic drum work, piercing industrial noises, eerie chorals and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Austrian visionary Zora Jones joins forces with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s woozy reflection about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.