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Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Antipodean jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Latest release 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that massively punches above its weight when it comes to issuing charmingly moody experimental pop music, from artists as disparate as London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble 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
A seldom-seen individual effort from the RHCP bass player, which is brilliantly accomplished: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz where Flea pleads for peace and love. “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 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried included in the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, in which minimal hints of piano and flute colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this Madrid-based cellist’s dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, spooky vocal harmonies 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 to deliver pounding ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering but the melody is almost dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino flows over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals courtesy of Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he observes the landscape of drug dealing.

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 musician’s woozy reflection about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.