Ilya Santana is a name that echoes through the shimmering corridors of electronic music, particularly in the realms of space disco and cosmic funk. Born and raised in the Canary Islands, a place where the Atlantic meets the dust of Africa, Santana found himself drawn to the edges of sound early on—edges where melody could float, and rhythm didn’t have to march. He came up through the analog warmth of the ‘70s and the cold seduction of the ‘80s, and somehow fused both into his own kind of future nostalgia.
His career took root in the early 2000s, not through grand gestures but through consistency—a steady stream of releases that wound their way through labels like Balearic stalwarts Eskimo Recordings and Nang. Each track, a kind of ode to neon dreams and late-night drives, became a testament to Santana’s gift for atmosphere: his music doesn’t just play, it inhabits. There’s a cinematic quality to his work, like he’s scoring the movie of a life that’s never quite real but always feels familiar.
Ilya’s sound is less about chart-topping bravado and more about evocation. It lingers. It hums beneath the surface of memory. Through remix work, original compositions, and DJ sets that feel like journeys, Santana has shaped a career that’s both low-key and influential—an underground luminary lighting the way for those who understand that some of the best music doesn’t demand attention, it earns it.
Got Time offers a rare glimpse of Santana’s gift: the ability to masterfully shape a re-edit that doesn’t just blend in — it stands apart. Strings and rhythm guitars, lifted from an era when session players worked at a level few can match today, swirl through his carefully constructed mix. It’s a slow-burn affair, unhurried and confident, with a touch of dub-fueled playfulness along the way — a formfuldendt groove that knows exactly where it’s going, and takes its time getting there.
Links:
• Instagram: @ilyasantana
• Facebook: Ilya Santana Music
• SoundCloud: Ilya Santana (Official)
• Spotify: Ilya Santana
• Instagram: @spaindisco
• SoundCloud: Spa In Disco
• Bandcamp: Spa In Disco
