Karl d'Silva + Anyx + Microcorps

A London bill pairing the alt-pop songwriter Karl D'Silva with the Berlin-based project ANYX and the act Microcorps, staged at Cafe OTO in Dalston.

Karl D'Silva is a figure on the UK underground scene who has worked alongside Coby Sey, Rian Treanor, Helm, GNOD, Oren Ambarchi and Thurston Moore, among others. Formerly based at Islington Mill in Salford, this alt-pop singer-songwriter made the debut album Love Is A Flame In The Dark, which was self-produced and self-recorded and released on Night School Records. The record was named album of the year by both The Wire and The Guardian in their 2024 end-of-year lists. The songs set romance and hope against anxiety about present-day life, with a pull towards older, mystical sources.

ANYX is the solo project of Anna Lucia Nissen, a composer and performance artist based in Berlin who trained originally as a sculptor. Her songwriting grows from poetry and melody, and her deep, androgynous voice sits among organ drones, layered harmonies and ambient textures. On stage, she treats her body as an instrument, and her site-responsive performances blur the line between concert and performance art.

Microcorps completes the bill. Cafe OTO is a restaurant and bar in Dalston that mainly presents free jazz and experimental music, including free improvisation.