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From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next Going Back to Sleep out now

Matthew Xue, who performs under the moniker DJ Moopie in Melbourne, has built a reputation for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to pulsating breakbeats and much more. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that massively punches above its weight when it comes to releasing charmingly moody experimental pop music, with contributors ranging from the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, 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. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which simultaneously serves as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, offer Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. Chateau, the pair, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and 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 showcases songs by 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. It stands as a humble compilation that’s likely to grow into deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of all things delicate and deeply felt.

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