Matthew Xue's Intriguingly Atmospheric Curated Collections and This Week's Best New Tracks
Based in Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop
Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released
Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass plus other genres. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, 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 collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts active today. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being one of the year’s underrated gems, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo 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 the band Who Cares?, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.
In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.
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: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz where Flea pleads for peace and love. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!”
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 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried included in the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.
Jana Horn – All in Bet
This songwriter from Texas paints in every shade of a sigh on this richly despondent return, in which minimal hints of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.
Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine the work of this Madrid cellist's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, piercing industrial noises, haunting choral passages and apocalyptic grandeur.
Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer collaborates with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo on a track of hard-hitting ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat but the melody is almost dream-pop.
Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in while he examines the world of narcotics.
Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced 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 hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.