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From Melbourne
Recommended if you like classic jangle-pop compilations, Antipodean jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Newest project 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that can run the gamut from icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass plus other genres. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, with contributors ranging from 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, 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 simultaneously serves as a carefully curated roadmap to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, blend influences from moody vocalists 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; minimalist Sydney group 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.

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Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
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Jana Horn – All in Bet
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Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
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Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
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