DJ Moopie's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations and This Week's Top Fresh Releases

Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to driving drum and bass and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to issuing charmingly moody experimental pop music, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, a collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, blend influences from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from the enduring San Francisco indie group 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 likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

Fresh Tracks of the Week

Flea – A Plea
A rare solo track from the RHCP bass player, and a magnificently realised one: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul where Flea pleads for peace and love. “I’m not being corny – this shit is real!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, you can imagine Blumberg winning best original song in 2026 for this stunning Seyfried duet taken from the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
The Texan songwriter paints in every shade of a sigh on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus on the soundtrack to Dune, due to its seismic drum work, metallic shrieks, eerie chorals and cataclysmic majesty.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist joins forces with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol for some slamming ghettotech: the percussion is overpowering 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 by Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the world of narcotics.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garagey number moves forward stubbornly on its own schedule, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “the moon gives me back my spirit”.

Tanya Allen
Tanya Allen

A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in gaming analysis and player psychology.