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From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of classic jangle-pop compilations, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Latest release Going Back to Sleep out now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between icy, atmospheric ambience to pulsating breakbeats plus other genres. He is also the founder of A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to releasing quirky and introspective pop experiments, from artists as disparate as percussionist Valentina Magaletti, based in London, dubby Hobart duo 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. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a quasi-sequel to that record which also functions as a neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere active today. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, contribute Time, a sprawling, seven-minute meditation featuring melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, whereas the band Who Cares?, draw equally from Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep showcases songs by 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. This is a modest collection that’s almost certain to become deeply cherished and often cited for aficionados of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

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