Peter Gabriel announces new album “o\i'”: “A marathon record”

Peter Gabriel has announced “o\i”, his new studio album and natural follow-up to “i/o“, the 2023 record that reached number one on the British chart. The album will be released on November 27 via Real World/Virgin Music Group, bringing to completion a much larger project: with its 13 tracks, “o\i” brings the overall number of songs conceived for the diptych to 25.
“This album was more of a marathon than a sprint: it's the longest record I've ever released,” says Gabriel. “The 13 tracks complete the joint ‘i/o’ / ‘o\i’ project, made up of 25 songs in total.”

The album arrives at the end of a year-long journey, during which the British musician released a new song to coincide with every full moon. At the heart of the songs are some of the themes that have long fuelled his work: the relationship between humanity and nature, the passing of time and, above all, the increasingly pervasive role of technology.
Gabriel looks in particular at the transformations that could reshape the near future, identifying three decisive forces: artificial intelligence, quantum computing and brain-computer interfaces. “We're entering a period of transition like no other,” he observes. For the former Genesis frontman, art also has a role to play in this scenario: “Artists have the job of looking into the fog of the future and, when they glimpse something, holding up a mirror.”

Written and produced by Gabriel himself, “o\i” was recorded mainly at Real World Studios and in the musician's home studio. By his side are several longtime collaborators, including David Rhodes on guitar, Tony Levin on bass and Manu Katché on drums, along with Richard Evans, Josh Shpak, Don E, Faye Dolle and Katie May. The lineup expands further with the New Blood Orchestra conducted by John Metcalfe, the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Swedish male choir Orphei Drängar. Guests also include Brian Eno, Mike Elizondo – co-producer of “A Hard Lesson” –, Leo Nocentelli, Tony Berg, Abe Rounds, Tom Cawley, Paolo Fresu, Linnea Olsson and Evan Smith. Melanie Gabriel, Peter's daughter, also returns on vocals.

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