Dublin-born, Kildare-based songwriter and electronic musician Paul Nolan has spent the last decade or so writing, recording, and performing as ilsantino, and quietly honing his own unique brand of retro-electropop.

While enjoying some success with early releases and collaborations with musicians including Gavin Glass, Dermot Lambert, and Garry O’Briain, Nolan’s more recent partnership with in-demand producer Conan Brophy has proved the most successful of his career to date.

Nolan’s ability to write simple, catchy pop tunes is perfectly complemented by Brophy’s production style and capacity to create bright, shiny, spacey electropop tracks packed with energy, atmosphere, and hooks. The pair have partnered on a string of singles and remixes over the last two years, covering much ground in the dream-pop/ dance-pop genres.

2022 was to prove a pivotal point in Nolan’s life and career. A keen amateur athlete, he suffered a cardiac arrest weeks after completing the Dublin City Marathon. The speedy response of friends in Newbridge Athletics Club saved Nolan’s life. He was back in the studio shortly after the incident and new music projects have proved hugely therapeutic as well as instrumental in his recovery.

‘The Girl’ (Kid Moxie Remix)

‘The Girl’ is a track that explores conflicting emotions. It finds the protagonist working hard to ignore a truth that is evident to others, but then pausing to reflect on the situation and, finally, figuring out what the right thing to do is! Is it written from personal experience?? Maybe!!

Nolan reached out to LA-based producer Kid Moxie after hearing her collaboration with Depeche Mode on ‘Wagging Tongue’, their most recent single. He enquired whether she might be interested in working on a remix of ‘The Girl’…

She loved the track, and quickly agreed to put her own stamp on it, creating a gorgeously upbeat and funky contemporary pop version of the track with loads of retro touches!

ilsantino influences

Nolan’s influences include classic electronic artists like Depeche Mode, Faithless, Goldfrapp, Kraftwerk, Robyn, Röyksopp etc., and more contemporary acts such as Future Islands, The Japanese House, Tame Impala, and White Lies.