🔗 Share this article

Based in Melbourne
Recommended if you like classic jangle-pop compilations, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that massively punches above its weight when it comes to putting out endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist 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. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, whereas Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; minimalist Sydney group the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s almost certain to become a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

The Top New Releases This Week

Flea – A Plea
An uncommon single release from the RHCP bass player, which is brilliantly accomplished: driving yet inquisitive soul-infused jazz where Flea pleads for peace and love. “This isn't cliché – it's genuine!”

Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Following his Oscar win for Best Original Score this year, one could envision Blumberg earning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried taken from the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
Jana Horn, an artist based in Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment.

Umor Rex – Lo Animal
You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's industrial-tinged gothic opus featured in a Dune soundtrack, due to its seismic drum work, metallic shrieks, haunting choral passages and end-times grandeur.

Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
The creative Austrian producer and singer teams up with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol for some slamming ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat although the tune is nearly dream-pop in nature.

Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
On new mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production by Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the landscape of drug dealing.

Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Produced by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin-based artist's woozy reflection about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.