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Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 compilation, Antipodean jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release 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 engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to releasing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

Back in 2017, the imprint put out 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 some of the best twee-pop groups active today. Sydney band Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as a hidden jewel from this year, contribute Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. 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 Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, 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. This is a modest collection that’s almost certain to become deeply cherished and often cited with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

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