🔗 Share this article Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Curated Collections along with This Week's Top Fresh Releases From Melbourne Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner. The label's 2017 release was 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 record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts making music now. The Sydney group Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, channel equal parts 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. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant. Fresh Tracks of the Week Flea – A Plea An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, and it is superbly executed: rhythmically forward-moving but adventurous jazz-soul 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, one could envision Blumberg earning 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 This songwriter from Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy on this richly despondent return, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind colour her weary disappointment. Umor Rex – Lo Animal It's not hard to picture the work of this Madrid cellist's industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, due to its seismic drum work, piercing industrial noises, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur. Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with Bristolian UK bass producer DJ Polo to deliver pounding 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 rolls over diverse, ethereal rap production from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged as he surveys the drug trade. Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper Helmed by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, shifting from a runaway vehicle to the Austin-based artist's dazed reverie about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.