On the opening night of Grammy-nominated DJ Illenium’s nine-show residency at Sphere on March 5, the EDM icon relished in his status as genre royalty as he delivered a sprawling 40-track set spearheaded by his recently-released sixth studio album, Odyssey.
Roughly a decade after he dropped his debut project, Ashes, this triumphant effort fittingly began with images of a phoenix hatchling rising through a flurry of feathers and flame. For the next 90 minutes, Illenium orchestrated his own rebirth by pushing the boundaries of what an EDM residency at the Sphere can entail. Here are some of our biggest takeaways.
1. It’s incredibly ambitious. I’ve been to Sphere twice—both times for EDM shows—and this one made it clear to me that the intent of the artist matters immensely when it comes to delivering a satisfying experience there. From that perspective, no one else came close to embracing the format as much as Illenium, who specifically crafted his latest album to make the most of everything the venue has to offer.
From collaborating with the German animation studio Woodblock to design the visuals, to his emphasis on storytelling and teaming up with a group of orchestral musicians on select entries, Illenium left no stone unturned. In the process, he made a compelling case that his electronic music can indeed be the poster child for successful Sphere residencies.
2. The visuals slap. Filtered through the bedrock theme of light and darkness, the visual experience stood out as a union of the grittiness of a sci-fi space opera and the epic vibrancy of anime. Each song has its own look and vibe, ranging from pulsing, glossy geometric shapes and shimmering cosmic silhouettes to menacing steampunk villains and a pair of protagonists representing the yin and yang of the psyche.
Woodblock’s animation work was especially impressive on the many scenes featuring feathers and liquid, thanks to highly detailed cels and quality physics modeling that never threatened the immersion. And while their presentation of humanlike characters in some cases was still a bit closer to what you’d expect out of a slightly dated AAA video game, they still held up well considering the sheer size and scale of the screen.
3. The story is half the experience. If Illenium used a mood board while he composed Odyssey, it would have likely included the covers of some iconic concept albums like Pink Floyd’s The Wall and My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade. And I just can’t commend him enough for committing to the traditional artistry of the album format at a time when singles tend to dominate streaming platforms.
His new project spins a narrative yarn centered around two women who in many ways are polar opposites. They’re at odds early on, but as the story progresses, they’re given enough breathing room to eventually deliver some genuinely powerful character moments you wouldn’t expect from an EDM show. Empathy and morality ultimately save the day, leading to a penultimate union that sets up an enthralling final scene.
4. The set strikes a perfect balance. The set is intentionally paced with a variety of sounds ranging from melodic, vocal-centric dubstep, to pulsing, synthy house and crunchy future bass ensembles.
In total, about half of its entries came from Odyssey, including highlights like “Refuge,” “Forever” and the Bring Me the Horizon collab “Slave to the Rithm.” But Illenium also devoted plenty of time to fan favorites like “All That Really Matters,” “In My Arms,” and “Good Things Fall Apart.”
Finally, his decision to bring a group of orchestral musicians onstage for select songs was the icing on the cake—and they absolutely met the moment by aura farming over slick licks on electric violins, mandolin, cello and piano.
5. EDM fans are just built different. It seemed like at least a quarter of attendees were wearing custom orange and black Illenium-branded baseball jerseys—exclusive items tied to his residency that went for $125 at the merch table. EDM fans tend to be unwaveringly loyal to their favorite artists, and for them, the experience seemed to be worth every penny.
As we filed out, I couldn’t help but appreciate what seems poised to be a breakthrough moment for Sphere residencies. Lars Ulrich better take notes.
ILLENIUM: ODYSSEY March 7, 12-14, April 2-4, 9:30 p.m., $136+. Sphere, ticketmaster.com.
