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From Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 compilation, AU/NZ jangle-pop, atmospheric pop
Newest project The compilation 'Going Back to Sleep' is currently released

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that effortlessly shift between gelid ambient music to pulsating breakbeats and beyond. Additionally, he operates A Colourful Storm – an exceptional independent record label that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to issuing endearingly atmospheric avant-pop, from artists as disparate as London-based percussionist Valentina Magaletti, Troth, a bass-heavy duo from Hobart, and the prolific underground figure Simon Fisher Turner.

In 2017, the label released I Won’t Have to Think About You, a compilation of winsome, C86-ish indie pop. This year saw the release of 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 currently working. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is a hidden jewel from this year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into percussive, psychedelic lounge pop on How Long on the Platform, while Who Cares?, draw equally from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from San Francisco indie stalwarts the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited among connoisseurs of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

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