🔗 Share this article

From Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and renowned underground polymath 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. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which also functions as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts active today. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, draw equally from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the RHCP bass player, and it is superbly executed: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for tranquility and compassion. “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 the Best Original Song award 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
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh on this deeply gloomy comeback, where the slightest touches of piano and flute tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
One might readily envision the work of this Madrid cellist's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades on the soundtrack to Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, spooky vocal harmonies and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer joins forces with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol to deliver pounding ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino flows over varied cloud-rap beats from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
With production by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s dazed reverie about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.