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Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Latest release 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that often traverse from gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that delivers far beyond its size 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 the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, 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. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, whereas Who Cares?, channel equal parts Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

This Week’s Best New Tracks

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz where Flea pleads for harmony and affection. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home best original song in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet featured on his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, where the slightest touches of keys and wind instruments shade her exhausted letdown.

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

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo for some slamming ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering yet the melody approaches dream-pop.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals by Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.