🔗 Share this article Matthew Xue's Charmingly Moody Experimental Compilations along with This Week's Top Fresh Releases Hailing from Melbourne Ideal listening for those who enjoy classic jangle-pop compilations, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, has built a reputation for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to pulsating breakbeats and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist 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. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which also functions as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, present Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, 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. Elsewhere, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited with fans of all things delicate and deeply felt. This Week’s Best New Tracks Flea – A Plea An uncommon single release by the Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist, which is brilliantly accomplished: 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 After securing this year's Oscar for Best Original Score, you can imagine Blumberg winning the Best Original Song award in 2026 for this breathtaking duet with Seyfried featured on the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee. Jana Horn – All in Bet This songwriter from Texas depicts all the nuances of melancholy in this opulently sad new song, where the slightest touches of piano and woodwind tinge her fatigued disillusionment. Umor Rex – Lo Animal You could easily imagine this cellist from Madrid's dark, gothic composition touched by industrial music playing over scenes in Dune, with its thundering drums, metallic shrieks, spooky vocal harmonies and end-times grandeur. Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up Imaginative Austrian producer-vocalist collaborates with UK bass producer DJ Polo from Bristol to deliver pounding ghettotech: the drums could knock you flat yet the melody approaches dream-pop. Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again On new mixtape Amnesia, The UK's Jawnino rides an assortment of cloud-rap instrumentals from Surf Gang, and this is one of its peaks, Jawnino alert and locked in as he surveys the drug trade. Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper With production by Ty Segall, this song with a garage vibe propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, from runaway truck to the Austin musician’s dazed reverie about how “my spirit is restored by the moon”.