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Hailing from Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 indie pop sound, AU/NZ jangle-pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next Going Back to Sleep out now

The artist known as DJ Moopie, real name Matthew Xue, from Melbourne, is celebrated for deeply absorbing musical journeys that effortlessly shift between chilled-out soundscapes to driving drum and bass and beyond. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a remarkable DIY imprint that delivers far beyond its size when it comes to issuing quirky and introspective pop experiments, with contributors ranging from the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, the dub-infused sounds of Hobart pair Troth, and esteemed multi-disciplinary artist Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, a collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. This year saw the release of Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which also functions as a carefully curated roadmap to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts making music now. Daily Toll, a band from Sydney, 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, the pair, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), explore rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and the band Who Cares?, draw equally from the styles of Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, Going Back to Sleep features tracks from the enduring San Francisco indie group the Reds, Pinks and Purples; the sparse-sounding Sydney ensemble the Lewers; and the sunny folk-pop of Netherlands-based duo the Hobknobs. This is a modest collection that’s destined to be well-loved and frequently referenced for aficionados of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

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Daniel Blumberg and Amanda Seyfried – Clothed By the Sun
Having won this year’s best original score Oscar, it's easy to picture Blumberg taking home the Best Original Song award in 2026 thanks to this remarkable collaboration with Amanda Seyfried taken from the score for the film The Testament of Ann Lee.

Jana Horn – All in Bet
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Umor Rex – Lo Animal
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Zora Jones x DJ Polo – Hoes Link Up
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Jawnino and Surf Gang – Hit Again
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Annabelle Chairlegs – Heavy Sleeper
Helmed by Ty Segall, this garage-rock-influenced track propels itself forward at a self-determined tempo, transitioning from a freight-train momentum to the Austin musician’s hazy daydream about how “the moon returns the spirit to me”.