Event Review: Anyma Presents ÆDEN @ Silverworks Island, London

Anyma Presents ÆDEN is an immersive audiovisual live show created by the Italian melodic techno artist and Tale of Us co-founder, Matteo Milleri. The project blends cinematic melodic techno with massive, hyper-realistic digital avatars, telling a story about an uploaded consciousness (human intelligence) existing in a futuristic digital realm.

The storyline centers on human minds uploading themselves to a digital cloud realm. It explores a universe where humans and Artificial Intelligence coexist, raising questions about immortality and consciousness. The visuals combine ancient mythological iconography with futuristic digital storytelling. It is widely recognized ÆDEN is not just as a standard DJ set, but an interactive audio-visual event.

Silverworks Island is located in East London’s Royal Docks, it is a 400,000 square metres open-air cultural venue with a 20,000 capacity, whilst it’s renown for its industrial backdrop, offering extensive views of the Thames, Canary Wharf, and the Millennium Mills and also located right by London City Airport you can see planes fly overhead, reminiscent of Ushuaia Ibiza vibes too.

For Anyma’s ÆDEN @ London’s Silverworks Island there were multiple ticket options available including general admission, VIP, situated adjacent to the Main Stage providing unrivalled side of stage views from a dedicated standing area in the arena, VIP tables in which every detail is taken care of, including a personal welcome and reserved table service and VIP stage which puts you right at the heart of it all, with an unmatched exclusive spot on the stage, up close with the DJs.

For Anyma’s Saturday show at Silverworks London, he bought a bunch of top tier artists in the form of Kolsch, who went B2B with Kevin de Vries, Chris Avantgarde, Layla Benitez, KAS:ST and HANA for the event which run from 1500-2230. On the day of the event, who really stood out to me were the following…..

Chris Avanrgade, a German-born, London-based DJ producer is a talent renown for conjuring records which incorporate cinematic, orchestral and melodic elements within Techno beats, next level production. Chris Avantgarde has always been surrounded by music though, he is more then a DJ/producer – he has classical roots; a multi-instrumentalist with formal training in piano and Jazz, learnt from a young age, and I feel this upbringing has paved the way for his current talents and success in Dance music.

Chris Avantgare’s current formula for success has enabled him to create a global following, spin at notable festivals and venues including Tomorrowland, Amsterdam Dance Event [ADE], Ushuaia [Ibiza] and at Miami Music Week . He has also collaborated with the industries biggest names, including Anyma and Adam Beyer, which has cemented his status as an Afterlife and Drumcode regular too.

Standout tunes from Chris Avantgarde’s set included ‘REBRN – For Your Head’, which is a cheeky rave anthem that transports you to the Ibiza super clubs of the noughties, alongside Chris Avantgarde’s ‘Concrete Professional’, a sharp, driving tune armed with heavy bass, industrial textures, gritty synths and also his ‘Rhythm Check’, a rolling, bass-driven rhythm, oozing cavernous pressure and sharp rhythmic elements that build intense club tension, ‘Rhythm check, bass check, soul check, funk check, money check’.

Chris Avantgarde also gave a teaser of what’s to come in the very near future too, as a couple of ID’s featured in his set are to be released on his debut album ‘Hyperreal’ on July 10^th, and it is available to pre-order on Beatport HERE, and also more ID action from tracks penned to his ‘Hyperreal’ imprint from other artists too.

Through a fusion of production mastery and deeply emotive techno, Kölsch has become one of the genre’s most singular voices. Over the years he has collaborated with a range of renowned artists including Coldplay, and London Grammar, anas well as electronic heavyweights such as ARTBAT, CamelPhat and Anyma. Kölsch’s sound bridges raw vulnerability and electronic power.

As a cornerstone of the Afterlife family since 2018, Kevin de Vries has established himself as a true personality in the electronic music landscape. His relentless tour schedule, including spots at EDC Las Vegas, Coachella or Awakenings and releases on elite imprints like Future Rave, Drumcode, Experts Only, and Cocoon continue to solidify his status as a leading force in the global dance music scene.

Standout tunes from their B2B set include ‘Kevin de Vries, Stylo, Eli & Dani – In The Night’ which combines an intense underground atmosphere with a steady rhythmic drive, perfect for dominating festival sets, also ‘Kolsch & CamelPhat – Waste My Time’ which blends emotive melodies and hypnotic grooves, capturing the synergy between Kölsch and CamelPhat, whilst also featuring an emotive vocal, and lastly ‘Basement Jaxx -Where’s Your Head At (Steve Angello Remix) which a is high-energy rework that transforms the classic big beat anthem into a heavy, tech-driven UK bassline club weapon.

Top teasers from Kolsch B2B Kevin de Vries included Kolsch’s rumoured ‘Madonna – Ray Of Light’ remix which transform the track to a club-ready weapon, layering Madonna’s 1988 original with a modern melodic and progressive techno beat, making it perfect for festival sets, whilst ‘Steve Angello, Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman – Payback (Kevin de Vries & Cassian Remix) also had another runout, a driving, atmospheric melodic techno and big-room electronic vibe, pairing the original track’s nostalgic, euphoric melody with even more contemporary, high-energy.

Anyma needs to introduction, event exploits to-date include making history as the first electronic artist to hold a residency at Sphere Las Vegas, where he showcased his “The End of Genesys” which was also projected onto the historic Giza Pyramids via an epic 10-hour journey too, and for this summer he has a residency at Ibiza mega club UNVRS too. Anyma’s ‘Genesys’ album also catapulted him to becoming the number-one selling artist on Beatport during 2023, he is placed as #10 on the current DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list, and prior to cracking the DJ Mag Top 10, he was the #1 highest new entry too.

His discography features collabs with big names including Ellie Goulding for ‘Hypnotized’, Joji for ‘Beautiful’ and also LISA for ‘Bad Angel’ which he has also worked with artists including Chris Avantgarde and Devid de Vries for original productions, and his productions have also been remixed by the likes of Eric Prydz, Kolsch and Amelia Lens too.

Standout tunes from Anyma’s set included ‘Fred again.. x Swedish House Mafia – Turn On The Lights again.. (Anyma Remix)’ which sees Anyma transform the emotional vocal track into an immersive melodic techno masterpiece, replacing the upbeat original tempo with a driving, four-on-the-floor beat, soaring synth lines, and an entrancing, atmospheric drop, also ‘Da Hool, Cassian, YOTTO – Love Parade’, a track heavily inspired by the late ’90s European rave era which gets a melodic techno makeover featuring atmospheric synths and driving, festival-ready production and also ‘Anyma – Pictures Of You (Cassian Remix)’, a rich, atmospheric melodic techno soundscape that maintains the signature heavy, immersive, and philosophical undertones typical of the Afterlife brand.

As a fan in the crowd during Anyma presenting ÆDEN, the visuals really are astounding, and synchronised with the tracks being played, standout highlights for me included a winged angel on fire, and shots of pyrotechnic coming from the stage, an AI version of Anyma being grabbed by multiple hands, reminiscent of being pulled into the Underworld, a lady utilising lightning as a power, and further lightning strikes on the screen, the amount of detail is amazing, and it is such an aesthetically pleasing spectacle to behold.

Anyma also showcased potential future releases by playing the following rumoured/unconfirmed/unreleased tracks too; ‘Anyma & OTTAGON – Unstoppable’, ‘Anyma & Stella Maxwell – Atoma’, ‘Anyma & 19:26 & Baset – Prophecy’, ‘Anyma ft. EJAE – Out Of My Body (JOA Remix)’, ‘Anyma & SCRIPT ft. Swae Lee – Phenomenal’, ‘Anyma & LISA – Bad Angel (19:26 & Bittermind Remix)’, ‘Anyma – Acid Desire’, ‘Anyma & Rebūke – Syren (Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman Remix)’ and ‘Anyma & Joji – Beautiful (OTTAGON Remix)’.

Overall, for my first experience of an Anyma event, it is evident to see why he is regarded as a global superstar, a pioneer; his unique approach to dance music has revolutionised events; utilising AI, cinematic, narrative-driven, aesthetically pleasing visuals to compliment a barrage of unreleased tunes and hits from his own catalogue that perfectly synchronize to the visuals, this is not a DJ set, it is an interactive experiences that explore the symbiosis of humans, nature, and technology. Art. If you haven’t experienced Anyma live, go, ASAP!