What defined Nano Records
Nano Records developed from Cape Town’s psychedelic-trance scene into one of the genre’s most durable international labels. Conceived around 2000 by Regan Tacon with Gareth Tacon and Anselm Guise, and releasing its first compilation Emergence in 2002, Nano combined South African roots with an early UK connection and a deliberately global artist network.
How Nano Records developed
The label grew alongside the early-2000s South African psytrance boom, when producers from Cape Town were becoming increasingly visible on European dance floors. Nano’s organisational links to the UK and to the Origin festival network helped turn a local production culture into a sustained international platform. Over time its release range expanded well beyond South African artists without losing the scene identity from which it started.
People, organisation & management
The label was conceived as a cross-border South Africa/UK operation and became closely connected with the Origin Festival network and the international Psytrance circuit.
Sound, roster & A&R direction
Nano is most closely associated with polished, high-energy psychedelic trance and full-on, but its catalogue has never been limited to one narrow template. Progressive, deeper and more tech-oriented material appears alongside the label’s brighter festival sound, giving the catalogue a broad but still recognisably psychedelic centre.
Place in psytrance history
The label played a major role in carrying South African psytrance into the international market while also becoming an important home for UK-linked and global artists. Its longevity, artist development and close relationship with festival culture helped establish a model for the modern independent psytrance label.
Scene impact & cultural reach
The label is a durable bridge between Cape Town outdoor Psytrance culture, the UK scene and the wider festival circuit.
Key releases & catalogue moments
Emergence established the label in 2002, followed by important releases from Hydrophonic, Protoculture and later generations of Nano artists. The Origin compilation series and Nano Sonic Sound System releases reinforced the connection between the label’s catalogue and its festival community.
Artists connected to the label
8ternal Beings
8ternal Beings is the Psytrance collaboration of Tristan Cooke and NANO Records label boss Regan Tacon, earliest known on record in 2025.
Avalon
Leon Kane’s UK psytrance project, known for driving Full-On production, extensive collaborations and a central role in the modern NANO Records network.
Braincell
Ralph K. Freund’s Swiss-based psychedelic trance project, known for deep rolling production and a multi-decade link between 1990s and modern European psytrance.
Burn in Noise
Brazilian producer Gustavo Manfroni’s Psytrance project, combining warm bass, muscular groove and dense psychedelic detail with roots in rock guitar.
Circuit Breakers
Psytrance collaboration of Dickster/Dick Trevor and Burn in Noise/Gustavo Manfroni, formed in 2008 within the NANO Records network.
Dickster
Dick Trevor’s long-running UK psytrance project, rooted in the original British Goa scene and known for acid-rich, groove-heavy production.
Everblast
Psytrance collaboration of Earthling/Celli Firmi and Chromatone/Lawrence Hoffman, with a dedicated catalogue led by the 2013 album Gain Damage.
Fearsome Engine
UK Psytrance collaboration of Tristan Cooke and Laughing Buddha/Jeremy van Kampen, launched with releases on NANO Records in 2009.
Flying Sorcerers
UK Psytrance project of Hypnocoustics/Joe Studt and Aphid Moon/Jules Hamer, active within the NANO Records network.
Future Frequency
Collaboration of Avalon/Leon Kane and Sonic Species/Joe Markendale, created for a deeper, groovier progressive-leaning Psytrance direction.
Hypnocoustics
UK producer Joe Studt’s psychedelic-trance project, combining a classical musical background with modern production, Goa-influenced melody and flexible day-to-night psytrance.
KOBI
Kobi Toledano’s solo project after LOUD, built around hypnotic grooves, minimal melodic detail, acid and techno-influenced psychedelic production.
Killerwatts
UK Psytrance collaboration of Avalon/Leon Kane and Tristan/Tristan Cooke, active since 2010 with three studio albums and continuing remix activity.
LOUD
Haifa duo Eitan Reiter and Kobi Toledano, known for a psychedelic-trance sound that brought old-school Goa ideas, studio experimentation and cross-genre electronic production into a modern framework.
Laughing Buddha
Jeremy 'Jez' Van Kampen’s UK Psytrance project, with roots in the early Cosmosis era and a long solo career spanning TIP, Flying Rhino, Dragonfly and NANO Records.
Mandala
Mandala is the Psytrance project of UK producer Angus Young, a long-time underground psychedelic-scene participant whose modern NANO catalogue combines organic grooves, positive themes and dancefloor-focused psychedelia.
Protoculture
Nate Raubenheimer’s South African project, initially a landmark melodic Psytrance act before evolving into progressive trance and house while retaining a parallel connection to psychedelic music.
Rinkadink
South African producer Werner van Jaarsveld’s long-running psytrance project, evolving from quirky early full-on into a more progressive, post-full-on psychedelic sound.
Sonic Species
Joe Markendale’s UK psytrance project, evolving from an original duo into a solo-led act spanning progressive and high-energy psychedelic trance.
Tristan
British producer and DJ Tristan Cooke, a continuous presence from the early Goa scene through modern NANO Records Psytrance and several major collaboration projects.
Undefined Behavior
Long-running Psytrance collaboration of Ajja S.F. Leu and Burn in Noise producer Gustavo Manfroni.
Undercover Babas
Psytrance duo of Braincell/Ralph K. Freund and Mandala/Angus Young, developed from their late-2010s studio collaborations.
Waio
Fernando Seca’s Brazilian-born Psytrance project, combining technical versatility with a transnational career spanning South America and Europe.
Whiplash
Historical Rinkadink/Werner van Jaarsveld and Shane Gobi collaboration.