As a 3D artist who spends countless hours in Blender and also works as a DJ and music producer, I’ve always been fascinated by the magic that happens when audio and visuals truly coincide for a show. For years, I’ve seen artists attempt to bridge that gap, but nothing prepared me for the spectacle you’ve probably seen in viral videos. A giant, futuristic robot presses its hands against the Las Vegas Sphere, shattering the massive screen like glass. This is the world of Anyma, 1 the solo project of Matteo Milleri from the famous techno duo Tale of Us. He’s not just playing music. He’s building a new reality for live events, and his main tool is something you’d usually find in the video game world: Unreal Engine.
Anyma is a full-blown artistic project designed to merge music, digital art, and live performance into one unforgettable experience . It’s a game-changer that has fans buzzing and the electronic music community debating what a concert should even be.
The Vision: A Sci-Fi Opera for the Dance Floor
Before Anyma, Milleri was already a big name with Tale of Us, known for their atmospheric melodic techno and popular Afterlife events . But his solo project is something different. It’s built around a story called Genesys, which Milleri calls a “five-part cybernetic opera”. The narrative explores big ideas about technology, nature, and what it means to be human, all told through stunning visuals and a driving techno soundtrack .
The story features recurring characters like Eva, a digital being on a journey of self-discovery . This focus on narrative is a huge shift. Instead of everyone staring at the DJ booth, the audience is pulled into a story unfolding on massive screens. The spectacle itself becomes the main event, letting Milleri himself fade into the background.
How Video Game Engines Power the Show
So, how do they pull it off? The secret is Unreal Engine 5, a powerful tool from Epic Games that’s used to create some of the world’s biggest video games . The key feature is real-time rendering. This means the incredible, high-fidelity graphics are created live during the show, not just played from a pre-recorded video file . This allows the visuals to be dynamic and perfectly synced with the music.
For the massive 16K resolution of the Sphere, the team uses advanced Unreal Engine features like Nanite and Lumen to create photorealistic detail . They also use a mix of other tools, including AI-powered software and motion capture technology, to bring their digital world to life . It all comes together to create a seamless audiovisual experience that feels completely immersive.
Edited: While Matteo Milleri is the musical mind behind Anyma, the stunning visual world of Genesys is not a solo creation. It’s the result of a deep collaboration with a team of world-class visual artists who help bring the cybernetic opera to life. Chief among them is Visual Director Alessio De Vecchi, who has been a core partner since the project’s inception, working alongside Milleri to ensure the music and visuals are created as one cohesive canvas. For the massive Sphere shows, the team expanded to include other visionaries like Alexander Wessely and Tobias Gremmler, who contributed their unique styles to craft a truly unforgettable spectacle. 2
Is It a Rave or a Movie?
Anyma’s shows have created a huge buzz, but they’ve also split the electronic music community. The feedback is all over the place.
For many, it’s a revolutionary, “mind blowing” experience. People who have been there say videos don’t do it justice and that you are completely surrounded by the visuals. Some describe it as a “spiritual experience” where the combination of sound, visuals, and haptic feedback in the seats can create real physical sensations, like vertigo when a robot falls on screen . These fans see it as a new art form, something more than a concert. 3
However, many long-time ravers aren’t convinced. A common complaint is that the music feels secondary to the visuals. For them, a dance music event should be about the music and the collective energy of the crowd. Critics often point to an audience that is standing still, “watching it like a movie with their phones out” instead of dancing. This passive viewing is the opposite of traditional rave culture, sparking a debate about whether the event is a “rave” or just a “show”. 4
Engineered to Go Viral
Anyma’s massive success isn’t just luck. It’s backed by a very smart marketing strategy. Facing a challenge where he was being outranked on Google, his team launched a targeted SEO campaign. In just two months, they boosted his search ranking for “anyma” from #8 to the #1 spot.
At the same time, the live show is basically a content factory. The most spectacular visual moments are perfectly designed to be shared on TikTok and Instagram. This creates a powerful marketing loop. Attendees film and share clips, which go viral and generate hype. That hype sells more tickets, and those new attendees create even more content. The show effectively markets itself.
Anyma is more than just a DJ set. It’s a glimpse into the future of entertainment, where music, technology, and storytelling collide. While it has sparked a healthy debate about what a live show should be, one thing is clear: Anyma is pushing boundaries and forcing everyone to rethink what’s possible.
As a 3D artist myself, seeing this level of audiovisual fusion is incredibly inspiring. I specialize in commission-based projects for the music industry, creating everything from posters and press kits to custom visuals for DJs. If you’re an artist looking to bring your own vision to life, you can reach out to me on my Instagram, where you can also check out my portfolio of work.
- https://www.heavym.net/music-visuals-for-live-performance/ ↩︎
- https://enjoytelevision.com/anyma-made-history-at-the-sphere-the-fusion-of-art-music-and-technology-in-the-end-of-genesys/ ↩︎
- https://officemagazine.net/art-x-machine-alexander-wessely-blurs-reality-sphere ↩︎
- https://www.reddit.com/r/EDM/comments/1i0ecoi/anyma_at_the_sphere_review_january_10_2025/ ↩︎
* generate randomized username
- COMMENT_FIRST
- #1 Lord_Nikon [12]
- #2 Void_Reaper [10]
- #3 Cereal_Killer [10]
- #4 Dark_Pulse [9]
- #5 Void_Strike [8]
- #6 Phantom_Phreak [7]
- #7 Data_Drifter [7]
- #8 Zero_Cool [7]
As a tech nerd who finds Anyma’s shows a religious experience (Sphere @ LV, Quantum @ Ibiza/UNVRS), I’d love to know more about how they’re run. Is there a PC with an RTX 5090 tucked away in the back? I’ve noticed that some videos are used for different tracks with slightly different timing, or that the animation of Eva and co seem to be easily tweaked.
If it’s all real-time rendered, how does that hook up with the CDJs and lighting system? Or is there some still pre-baking involved?
Imagine if the Sphere show had been released for VR… (Apple Vision Pro!!)
Edit: and yes lots of people dance at Anyma’s shows – everyone just stops to record the part that goes viral on social media…