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Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, Mess Esque
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is renowned for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that often traverse from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released 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 spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as an overlooked treasure of the year, present Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), explore percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, draw equally from 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; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource among connoisseurs of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

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