Following a year in which Peter Gabriel has released a new song on every full moon, on November 27, he will release his new studio album, o\i, a follow up to his critically acclaimed 2023 album, i/o, a No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart.
o\i is a companion piece to its reflected name-sake i/o expanding on many of the same themes: Our relationship with nature, the passing of time, the increasing influence of technology in our lives and our place in the world; “Trying to get a handle on where you fit in life, that’s what I write about a lot,” Gabriel says.
The 13 tracks of o\i showcase the breadth of Gabriel’s song-writing palette, lyrically always insightful and imaginative, able to explore big themes with emotional conviction whilst retaining a peerless ability to speak to the listener, directly, personally, and intimately.
“The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings,” Gabriel says. “I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it. We are sliding into a period of transition like no other, most likely triggered in three waves; AI, quantum computing and the brain computer interface. Artists have a role to look into the mists and, when they catch sight of something, to hold up a mirror. We are not, and have never been, the exclusively self-determining, independent beings that we imagine we are. We have had a sense of entitlement that everything exists for our benefit – that we’ve been given the run of the world to exploit as we see fit.”
He adds, “We are something else, a part of nature, a part of everything and when we feel that connection, shake our booty and give and receive a little love, it can help us find our proper place – and put a big smile on our faces. This is how I see the lumpy bits – i/o: the inside has a new way out and o\i: the outside has a new way in.”
o\i was written and produced by Gabriel and recorded primarily at Real World Studios and Peter’s home studio. The album, like most Gabriel records, contains both songs that have been written since the last album and some that have taken years, decades, to complete.
Long standing band members, guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché feature on many of the songs, supplemented by other members of the i/o touring band Richard Evans, Josh Shpak and Don E and Real World staffers Faye Dolle and Katie May.
All 13 tracks come in two stereo mixes: the Bright-Side and the Dark-Side mix. Both versions are included on the 4CD package, and are also available separately as double vinyl albums.
Peter Gabriel’s o\i is available to pre-order here.
o\i Tracklist:
CD | Digital
Been Undone
Put the Bucket Down
What Lies Ahead
Till Your Mind Is Shining
Won’t Stand Down
Who Are We Talking To?
Yes, It Will Go
One by One
A Hard Lesson
Face the Wall
I Belong to the Sky
Looking for the Happy
Sacrament
2LP
SIDE A
Been Undone
Put the Bucket Down
What Lies Ahead
Till Your Mind Is Shining
SIDE B
Won’t Stand Down
Who Are We Talking To?
Yes, It Will Go
SIDE C
One by One
A Hard Lesson
Face the Wall
SIDE D
I Belong to the Sky
Looking for the Happy
Sacrament
Source: RTT Music News
