Afterlife Records bosses Carmine Conte and Matteo Milleri, better known as the powerhouse dance music duo Tale Of Us, have spent the past 10 years crafting their distinct sound and developing a deep connection with a fiercely loyal global fanbase. In an effort to further expand their musical universe and meticulously crafted label, aesthetic, and story, Matteo Milleri has announced that he will be embarking on a new solo venture under the moniker Anyma.

Tale Of Us fans, fear not. This does not mean the end of the Italian duo’s legendary reign over the dance floor. Instead, the solo venture serves to “empower” the Tale Of Us project rather than see it fade away. For his Anyma moniker, Matteo has linked up with the award-winning creative production company Builders Club to help form a new and innovative visual identity for the project. Over the next few months, he will be dropping several key bodies of work, including music videos, augmented reality experiences, and a debut album titled Genesys — set to drop this October via Afterlife. 

Ahead of the LP, we caught up with Matteo to learn more about his new digitally inspired music persona, how it will present itself in a live setting, and his first release as Anyma, the four-track Sentient EP. Check out the interview and listen to the release below.

Anyma’s Sentient EP drops June 4th via Afterlife Records.

I’m sure the first thing many fans are wondering is — does the Anyma project mean Tale Of Us are splitting up or moving in different directions? 

Not at all. The solo projects are meant to run in parallel to Tale Of Us and to actually empower this.

If not, what was the creative impetus behind launching a solo production project? 

Anyma and Mrak (Carmine Conte’s new solo project) are our way to explore artistic individualities freely and to have a creative output outside of Tale Of Us. Anyma is a project inspired by my deep-rooted passion for electronic music with strong ties to technology and digital art. Its intention is to create a unique sonic and visual landscape where my artistic vision will have the freedom to evolve.

Did the idea for Anyma come to you during lockdown, or is this something you’ve wanted to work on for a while? 

I’ve always been fascinated by the opportunities of the Metaverse and how future generations will experience and perceive art and music. It’s my strong belief that this constantly evolving digital landscape presents a chance for artists to cultivate a more connected and immersive experience, both live and at home. This goes for social and solitary interactions. 

The physical separation between Carmine and I through Covid lockdowns and the immense amount of time compared to pre-covid touring were the ground for this to materialise into Anyma.

Will you be touring as Anyma or otherwise performing live under that name in the future?

A live show is being carefully prepared and designed as we speak. The vision is to present a hybrid of DJing and live performance, computer, and analog synthesis. Like Anyma itself, this is about merging different worlds and experiences into one singular creative expression. A full audiovisual show will transport the audience into an immersive 360 digital art and music experience.

And finally, what can we expect from the upcoming album and remixes?

Initially, the musical direction will maintain affinity to the Afterlife and Tale Of Us sound, before progressing in the first year of the Genesys into a broader landscape influenced by my roots, but transcending the limits of a normal dance floor DJ experience. The inception point begins with Afterlife, with my debut, Sentient EP. After that, singles will appear on other labels, like Rüfüs du Sol’s Rose Avenue.

I’ve assembled a dynamic team of collaborators for the EPs and album. It’s a broader spectrum of artists in comparison to the work I’ve done up until this point: Rosa Anscutz, Lie Ning, Janus Rasmussen, Marygoldff, Quayola, Plusyes, and more. Each of these collaborators adds a poetic, human touch to Anyma’s output amplifying the soulful aspect of the project.