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Based in Melbourne
Ideal listening for those who enjoy the C86 compilation, 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, is renowned for deeply absorbing musical journeys that can run the gamut from chilled-out soundscapes to churning drum'n'bass and much more. He also runs A Colourful Storm – a fantastic indie label that massively punches above its weight when it comes to putting out quirky and introspective pop experiments, featuring a diverse roster including the rhythmic explorations of Valentina Magaletti, dubby Hobart duo Troth, and renowned underground polymath Simon Fisher Turner.

The label's 2017 release was I Won’t Have to Think About You, an assortment of charming guitar-pop reminiscent of the C86 era. Earlier this year, it put out Going Back to Sleep, a spiritual follow-up to that compilation which simultaneously serves as a succinct overview to a selection of top-notch twee-pop acts currently working. Sydney band Daily Toll, whose 2025 debut A Profound Non-Event is an overlooked treasure of the year, offer Time, a seven-minute melodica-and-guitar reverie. The duo Chateau, the duo of Al Montfort (Terry, Total Control) and Alex Macfarlane (the Stevens, Twerps), venture into rhythmic, trippy lounge music on How Long on the Platform, whereas Who Cares?, one of Melbourne's best new bands, channel equal parts Hope Sandoval and Eartheater on Wax and Wane.

In other tracks, 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. It’s an unassuming compilation that’s destined to be deeply cherished and often cited with fans of art that is gentle and profoundly emotional.

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