The 1999 movie Go captured a short-lived moment in electronic house and trance history that was sensationalized in the late ’90s. It was a time when everyone didn’t have iPhones, ecstasy was the cool new thing, and you could suck on a pacifier and twirl your hands around without it showing up five minutes later on Instagram. But above all, the sound of that scene was so specific it feels like a timestamp.
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It came and went fast. With the rise of sleazy NYC rock and the later emo/indie wave of the early 2000s, atmospheric trance got left behind in the pre-Y2K dust. Still, its fingerprints have lingered in the background of modern music over the last 25 years. And now, with the resurgence of shoegaze, that sound seems to be poking its head back up.
Somewhere between the Go soundtrack, early Grimes, and even traces of witch trap, we find Nuclear Daisies on their sophomore album First Taste of Heaven (via Portrayal of Guilt Records). It’s not exactly a new sound, but it delivers all the feelings of freshness and excitement.
The band said they had a specific vision for the album. In their words: “We had clear visions of how we wanted certain songs to not only sound, but feel too. Very sci-fi and dystopian. One song we wanted to feel like attending the vampire rave from Blade, tense, pulsing, but also a little bit dangerous.”
They pulled it off, and then some. The trance influence is unmistakable, but there’s a modern edge to it. Shoegaze textures and indie rock structure weave through songs like “Dandelion Wine” and “Infinite Joy,” walking a careful line between hazy and grounded.
“Honey In The Wound,” “Toad,” and especially “Fangs” lean harder into the Blade and Go soundtrack vibe. These tracks feel more visceral, bringing in elements of witchtrap that recall artists like Crystal Castles or You Love Her Coz She’s Dead. One moment you’re hypnotized by pulsing rhythm, the next you’re hit with crashing drums and thick guitars, all topped with haunting, ethereal vocals—especially on “Fangs”.
First Taste of Heaven might stir up some nostalgia, but it stands on its own as a fully realized record. By pulling from trance, shoegaze, witchtrap, and indie rock, Nuclear Daisies have carved out something that feels both familiar and totally their own.
Blade—you know, the vampire hunter—once said, “When you understand the nature of a thing, you know what it’s capable of.” You understand the nature of First Taste of Heaven almost immediately, and from that first listen, it’s clear this band is capable of something great.
FFO: The Chemical Brothers, early Grimes, Slow Crush, Air, Eagle-Eye Cherry
