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Based in Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 compilation, Antipodean jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, is celebrated for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to pulsating breakbeats and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, from artists as disparate as London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, 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, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), push into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, channel equal parts moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into well-loved and frequently referenced with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

The Top New Releases This Week

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Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet included in his soundtrack to The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh on this deeply gloomy comeback, in which minimal hints of keys and wind instruments tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
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Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
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Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
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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 hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.