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Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to driving drum and bass plus other genres. He also runs A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, from artists as disparate as the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and the prolific underground figure 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. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which also functions as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. The Sydney group Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being 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 percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, draw equally from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into well-loved and frequently referenced with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt.

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