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Hailing from Melbourne
Recommended if you like the C86 compilation, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, Mess Esque
Latest release 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 often traverse from chilled-out soundscapes to churning drum'n'bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint 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, 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, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a neatly drawn guide to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts active today. The Sydney group Daily Toll, with a 2025 debut, A Profound Non-Event, that stands as one of the year’s underrated gems, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. Chateau, the pair, featuring members Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, while the band Who Cares?, blend influences from moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from Bay Area indie fixtures the Reds, Pinks and Purples; Sydney's minimalist outfit the Lewers; and sun-dappled folk-pop from Dutch duo the Hobknobs. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s likely to grow into a beloved and regularly mentioned resource for aficionados of all things delicate and deeply felt.

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