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From Melbourne
Perfect for fans of the C86 indie pop sound, Australian and New Zealand guitar pop, art-pop experimentation
Up next 'Going Back to Sleep' is available now

Melbourne-based DJ Moopie, AKA Matthew Xue, has built a reputation for engrossing, wide-ranging sets that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to driving drum and bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that consistently exceeds expectations when it comes to putting out charmingly moody experimental pop music, from artists as disparate as 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, a collection of delightful, C86-inspired indie pop. More recently, it has issued Going Back to Sleep, a record that acts as a companion piece which doubles as a neatly drawn guide to several excellent bands in the gentle pop sphere currently working. The Sydney group Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, offer Time, a seven-minute daydream built on melodica and guitar. The duo Chateau, comprising Al Montfort and Alex Macfarlane, push into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, and Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts moody vocalists Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

On other parts of the compilation, Going Back to Sleep includes contributions from Bay Area indie fixtures 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 a beloved and regularly mentioned resource with fans of music that is subtle and emotionally resonant.

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