🔗 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 the C86 compilation, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, atmospheric pop Up next Going Back to Sleep out now Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, is celebrated for captivating and eclectic DJ sets that often traverse from gelid ambient music to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to issuing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, featuring a diverse roster including London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and the prolific underground figure 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 quasi-sequel to that record which doubles as a succinct overview to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, their 2025 first record A Profound Non-Event being one of the year’s underrated gems, offer Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into beat-driven, psychedelic-infused easy listening on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, blend influences from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane. On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and bright, folk-tinged pop from the Dutch pair the Hobknobs. It stands as a humble compilation that’s almost certain to become deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional. The Top New Releases This Week Flea – A Plea An uncommon single release from the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, and it is superbly executed: propulsive but exploratory soul-jazz with Flea calling for peace and love. “No cheesiness here – this is the truth!” Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, you can imagine Blumberg winning the 2026 Oscar for Best Original Song for this stunning Seyfried duet featured on the soundtrack he composed for The Testament of Ann Lee. Jana Horn – All in Bet This songwriter from Texas paints in every shade of a sigh in this opulently sad new song, as delicate traces of piano and woodwind shade her exhausted letdown. Umor Rex – Lo Animal It's not hard to picture the work of this Madrid cellist's industrial-tinged gothic opus 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 Austrian visionary Zora Jones joins forces with Bristol-based UK bass maker DJ Polo to deliver pounding ghettotech: the beats are absolutely crushing but the melody is almost dream-pop. Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again Featured on the fresh mixtape Amnesia, British MC Jawnino rides diverse, ethereal rap production courtesy of Surf Gang, with this song standing as a peak moment, Jawnino sharp and fully engaged while he examines the landscape of drug dealing. Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper Produced by Ty Segall, this garagey number chugs along entirely at its own pace, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s woozy reflection about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.