The follow-up to his critically acclaimed album ‘i/o’ will be released on 27 November 2026. “This record was more of a marathon than a sprint - it is the longest album I have ever released. The 13 songs complete the 25-track ‘i/o / o\i’ project.” - PETER GABRIEL
Following a year in which PETER GABRIEL released a new song at every full moon, his new studio album ‘o\i’ will arrive on 27 November 2026. It follows his critically acclaimed 2023 album ‘i/o’, which reached No. 1 in the UK and No. 2 in Germany. Just three years after ‘i/o’, Peter Gabriel now presents a completely new collection of songs, marking his quickest return with a new studio album since the early 1980s.
‘o\i’ is the mirror image of ‘i/o’, revisiting many of the themes explored on its predecessor: our relationship with nature, the passage of time, the growing influence of technology on our lives and the question of where we fit into the world. “I am trying to work out where you fit into life - I write a lot about that,” says Gabriel.
The 13 tracks on ‘o\i’ showcase the full range of Gabriel’s musical and lyrical work. His lyrics are thoughtful and imaginative, tackling major themes without losing their immediate, personal and intimate quality. Songs dealing with our hopes and fears and reaching straight for the heart sit alongside pieces filled with optimism, love and a sense of joie de vivre - songs where the groove takes centre stage and standing still is almost impossible.
“The songs are a mixture of thoughts and feelings,” Gabriel explains. “I have been thinking about the future and how we might respond to it. We are moving into a period of change unlike anything we have experienced before, most likely driven by three waves: AI, quantum computing and the brain-computer interface. Artists have a responsibility to look into the fog and, when they see something, hold up a mirror. We are not - and never have been - the exclusively self-determined, independent beings we like to think we are.
We had the feeling that everything was ours, that everything existed for our benefit - as if the world had been handed to us to exploit as we pleased. But we are something else: part of nature, part of everything. And when we feel that connection, shake our arses and give and receive a little love, it can help us find our rightful place - and put a big smile on our faces. That’s how I see the slightly clunky pieces - i/o: the inside finds a new way out, and o\i: the outside finds a new way in.”
‘o\i’ was written and produced by PETER GABRIEL and recorded predominantly at Real World Studios and in his own studio. As with most of his albums, the record combines songs written since the release of the previous album with pieces whose development stretches back years or even decades.
“Sometimes things just need time,” says Gabriel. “Most people get things done much faster - but I have no problem with understanding my own process. Some things grow and develop by themselves, while others remain hidden in a box until their moment arrives and they can emerge into the light.”
Joining Gabriel are longtime collaborators David Rhodes on guitar, Tony Levin on bass and Manu Katché on drums, who feature on numerous tracks. They are joined by further members of the ‘i/o’ touring band: Richard Evans, Josh Shpak and Don E, as well as Real World musicians Faye Dolle and Katie May. Also involved are the NEW BLOOD ORCHESTRA, conducted by John Metcalfe, the Soweto Gospel Choir and Swedish male choir Orphei Drängar.
Further high-profile contributions come from Mike Elizondo, who co-produced ‘A Hard Lesson’, Brian Eno, guitarists Leo Nocentelli and Tony Berg, drummer and percussionist Abe Rounds, pianist Tom Cawley, trumpeter Paolo Fresu, cellist Linnea Olsson and multi-instrumentalist Evan Smith. Gabriel’s daughter Melanie also returns as a vocalist.
All 13 tracks appear in two different stereo mixes: the Bright-Side Mix by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent and the Dark-Side Mix by Tchad Blake. The exception is ‘Who Are We Talking To?’, which was mixed by Mike Elizondo. Both mixes are included in the four-CD set and are also available separately as double LPs. The Dolby Atmos In-Side Mix, available exclusively digitally, was once again created by Hans-Martin Buff, who was awarded Best Immersive Mix Engineer at the Grammy Awards for his work on ‘i/o’.
As with the monthly full-moon releases, Peter Gabriel has once again invited a range of visual artists to create individual works of art to accompany the music. Their work spans painting, sculpture and installation to embroidery and textile art, as well as a collaboration involving spiders. Participating artists include Janaina Mello Landini, Tomás Saraceno, Judy Chicago, Tatsuo Miyajima, Shirin Neshat, Juan Genovés, Roelof Louw, David Altmejd, Francis Alÿs, Tadashi Kawamata, Berndnaut Smilde, Tishan Hsu and Michal Rovner. The cover photograph was taken by renowned photographer Nadav Kander.
Piece by piece, song by song, the monthly full-moon releases have come together to form the forthcoming album ‘o\i’. With two albums released within three years, the project forms an extensive body of work from Gabriel’s most recent creative period. And so, the gaze remains fixed on the moon, awaiting whatever comes next.
‘o\i’ will be released as a four-CD set featuring the Bright-Side and Dark-Side Mixes, as well as two separate double LPs, each featuring one of the two mixes. Coloured vinyl editions will be available exclusively through selected retailers.
Tracklist
01. Been Undone
02. Put the Bucket Down
03. What Lies Ahead
04. Till Your Mind Is Shining
05. Won’t Stand Down
06. Who Are We Talking To?
07. Yes, It Will Go
08. One by One
09. A Hard Lesson
10. Face the Wall
11. I Belong to the Sky
12. Looking for the Happy
13. Sacrament
Source: Press Release
