Peter Gabriel Unveils New Album ‘o/i’ with “Been Undone (Dark-Side Mix)”

Peter Gabriel, photo by Nadav Kander

Peter Gabriel has announced o/i, the legendary singer-songwriter’s 11th studio album.

Gabriel’s new project follows 2023’s i/o, which opened a new chapter in his career after a 21-year recording hiatus. Like that landmark record, his latest is connected to the year’s lunar calendar, with “Dark-Side” and “Bright-Side” mixes by Tchad Blake and Mark ‘Spike’ Stent to be steadily released on the full moon and new moon of each month, respectively. The cycle will conclude in December. “The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings,” Gabriel shared in a release:

“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.

These are my lumpy bits –i/o: the inside has a new way out and oi: the outside has a new way in.

We are not, and have never been, the exclusively self-determining, independent beings that have been given the run of the world. We are something else, a part of nature, a part of everything and feeling a connection, shaking our booty and giving and receiving some love can help us find our place – and put a big smile on our faces.

Some of these songs are going to form part of the brain project that I’ve been exploring for a number of years, and some just make me feel happy. I hope you like them.”

Gabriel’s first single from i/o, released under the Wolf Supermoon on Saturday, is “Been Undone (Dark-Side Mix),” an airy, soothing, contemplative art-rock rumble. The artist detailed that the first dispatch is his most recent recording with his tried and true band of bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes and drummer Manu Katché, though its roots trace back to three decades to an unreleased demo titled “Sit.” Each single will be coupled with a unique piece of visual art, and the cover for the first is Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome) by São Paulo-based artist Janaina Mello Landini. 

“The way she takes the rope and moves it out, unravelling it, is almost like fractals or tree trunks and looks like the brain in some ways too,” Gabriel reflected, “so I see a lot of entry points.” 

Listen to “Been Undone (Dark-Side Mix)” and watch Gabriel’s introductory video to the single and series below. Find more information on the artist and his recent projects at petergabriel.com.