dark pop – Queen City Sounds and Art

Delachute and Madrid Exit (L-R), photo by Orhan Aydin

The music video for Madrid Exit’s “July” (featuring Delachute, courtesy videographer Orhan Aydin) is a little like watching a strange found footage horror short. The song itself his ethereal and hazy yet beat driven. A human figure (Madrid Exit) is in the first part of the video and when he walks off screen we see another with some kind of white mask and what looks like a baseball bat (this is Delachute in the usual garb). Both are walking along a path flanked by lush greenery and the song with elements of background drone and slow, heavy processed percussion is simultaneously haunting and soothing. Think pop music for a Curry Baker film. Watch the video for “July” on YouTube and follow Madrid Exit at the links below. Look out for his debut album out in Fall 2026.

Madrid Exit on Instagram

“Is That Blood?” begins with a spare but urgent piano line before Sara Diana’s strong and soulful vocals come in with a brooding backdrop of cycling low end and a minimalistic beats. The song seems to be about a romance that is deep and caught up in a mutual acceptance of aspects of those involved that they feel the need to keep secret or hidden from most people for fear of judgment. In the song’s orchestral arrangements the songwriter perfectly places the emotional beats of the song. Fans of the early music of Lorde will find something resonant here but in a darker dream pop vein yet both artists seem to draw upon inspiration from modern R&B production. Listen to “Is That Blood?” on Spotify and follow Sara Diana at the links provided.