🔗 Share this article DJ Moopie's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections and This Week's Top Fresh Releases From Melbourne Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from icy, atmospheric ambience to pulsating breakbeats and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to issuing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and the prolific underground figure 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. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), explore beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane. Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource among connoisseurs of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional. Fresh Tracks of the Week Flea – A Plea A seldom-seen individual effort from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and a magnificently realised one: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul as Flea advocates 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, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this stunning Seyfried duet taken from the score for the film 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, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment. Umor Rex – Lo Animal One might readily envision the work of this Madrid cellist's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music featured in a Dune soundtrack, with its thundering drums, screeching metallic sounds, eerie chorals 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 beats are absolutely crushing yet the melody approaches dream-pop. Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again Included on the latest mixtape, Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he observes the drug trade. Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper Helmed by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's woozy reflection about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.