🔗 Share this article Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Best New Tracks Based in Melbourne Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, Antipodean jangle-pop, atmospheric pop Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that often traverse from chilled-out soundscapes to driving drum and bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to issuing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and renowned underground polymath 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 record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere making music now. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, blend influences from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane. In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional. Fresh Tracks of the Week Flea – A Plea A seldom-seen individual effort by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz with Flea calling for harmony and affection. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!” Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee. Jana Horn – All in Bet This songwriter from Texas captures the full spectrum of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown. Umor Rex – Lo Animal One might readily envision this cellist from Madrid's gothic masterpiece with industrial shades playing over scenes in Dune, thanks to its pounding percussion, screeching metallic sounds, haunting choral passages and end-times grandeur. Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up Austrian visionary Zora Jones teams up with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop. Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again On new mixtape Amnesia, UK rapper Jawnino rides an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals courtesy of Surf Gang, and this track is a highlight, Jawnino focused and in the zone as he surveys the world of narcotics. Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper With production by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, from runaway truck to the Austin-based artist's woozy reflection about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.