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I/O (album)

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i/o
Official Album Cover
Studio album by
Peter Gabriel
Released1 December 2023
RecordedApril 1995 – 2022
VenueRexall Place (Edmonton)
Studio
Genre
Label
Producer
Peter Gabriel chronology
Flotsam and Jetsam
(2019) 		i/o
(2023)
Singles from i/o
  1. "Panopticom"
    Released: 6 January 2023
  2. "The Court"
    Released: 5 February 2023
  3. "Playing for Time"
    Released: 7 March 2023
  4. "i/o"
    Released: 6 April 2023
  5. "Four Kinds of Horses"
    Released: 5 May 2023
  6. "Road to Joy"
    Released: 4 June 2023
  7. "So Much"
    Released: 3 July 2023
  8. "Olive Tree"
    Released: 1 August 2023
  9. "Love Can Heal"
    Released: 31 August 2023
  10. "This Is Home"
    Released: 29 September 2023
  11. "And Still"
    Released: 28 October 2023
  12. "Live And Let Live"
    Released: 27 November 2023

i/o is the upcoming tenth studio album by English rock musician Peter Gabriel, scheduled to be released on 1 December 2023 by Real World Records.[1][2][3] It will be Gabriel's first full-length album of new original material in 21 years since 2002's Up, marking the longest gap between two studio albums in his solo career.

i/o had been in the works for nearly three decades, with its initial production dating back to 1995, at around the same time Gabriel began recording Up.[1][4][5] He began planning the album as the follow-up to Up as early as 2000 and was intending to release it in 2004, but it had faced multiple delays before its completion in 2022, due to Gabriel focusing on other projects such as his two orchestral albums Scratch My Back (2010) and New Blood (2011), both of which containing covers of songs by other artists and rearrangements of his older material, respectively.[1]

Starting on 6 January 2023, Gabriel has released a new single every full moon, planning to culminate in the album's release at the end of the year; this replicates the 2010 double-sided single releases in promotion of And I'll Scratch Yours (2013). He has stated that he may release more songs in this format following the album's release.

Background

For 2002's Up, Gabriel reportedly had over 130 songs in various stages, of which ten were selected for the album.[6] He said that a follow-up album from this material, tentatively titled i/o (also an early name for Up), was intended to be completed by 2004.[7][8] However, the Growing Up and Still Growing Up tours over the next three years, as well as Gabriel starting new projects entirely, pushed this date far ahead. In 2005, Gabriel reportedly had a pool of 150 songs, which he had been working on with engineer Richard Chappell and percussionist Ged Lynch. Gabriel said he was "trying to write principally about birth and death, with the sex in the middle." In the interview, he discussed the idea of touring before recording and releasing the album.[1][9] Gabriel soon shifted focus towards 2010's Scratch My Back and 2011's New Blood.

In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone, Gabriel mentioned that he had twenty songs in the works, saying "It probably hasn't moved nearly as much as I would have liked to in the intervening time. The songs are still there, but some of them I would redo now and there's some new stuff as well."[10] During the Back to Front Tour, Gabriel performed a song entitled "Daddy Long Legs" that would eventually become the third single from i/o, "Playing for Time".[11][12] Throughout 2014 and 2015, Gabriel posted consistently on social media about working on the new album alongside Chappell and Lynch.[13] Gabriel stated in a 2014 interview that he was working on more upbeat material because "it's very easy for me to fall into some moody stuff."[14] He also revealed that he was working on songs called "Here Comes Love" and "In and Out." The latter eventually became the album's title track, "i/o".[1] He debuted the song "What Lies Ahead" during a live show in Italy. On the 2016 Rock Paper Scissors tour with Sting, he performed the song "Love Can Heal", and additionally rehearsed new songs "Rock Paper Scissors" and "Radio Everyone".[1]

After a break from music for a few years in order to care for his then-ill wife, Gabriel returned to work on the album in 2019. Gabriel said he was working on about 50 ideas, with the intention of finishing the songs by the end of the year.[15] In 2020, Gabriel mentioned a song about aging called "So Much".[16] In July, he said that he had been "slowed down quite a lot by lockdown" but that he had "enough songs that I like to make a record I'm proud of."[17][18]

Recording

From September to October 2021, Gabriel recorded the first band material for i/o in Real World Studios, alongside drummer Manu Katché, bassist Tony Levin and guitarist David Rhodes. They reportedly recorded 23 songs.[19][20] Throughout the following year, Gabriel posted to social media a series of photos from these full band recording sessions.[21][22] Brian Eno also played a large part, contributing production, synthesizers and rhythm programming and throughout the album. Other notable musicians include Gabriel's daughter Melanie, who has contributed backing vocals since Up, and engineer Richard Chappell, who has worked at Real World since 1987.[7] In June 2022, Katché said that the album was nearly complete.[23][24][25] Gabriel has said that the album, "to his ears," sounds "very different" track by track.[26]

Both Mark 'Spike' Stent and Tchad Blake contributed a mix of each song from i/o. Gabriel said, "Rather than choosing only one of their mixes to release, I have decided that people should be able to hear all the great work that they are both doing."[27] Stent's mixes are released as the 'Bright-Side Mix', while Blake's mixes are the 'Dark-Side Mix'.[27][28] All the songs have each also received a third alternate mix in Dolby Atmos, called an 'In-Side Mix', by Hans-Martin Buff.[29][30]

Promotion and release

In November 2022, Gabriel formally announced that after almost 20 years of anticipation, he was ready to release the album i/o, and tour with the new music. Not only does i/o stand for "input/output", but it is also the name of a moon of Jupiter.[31] i/o The Tour will cover locations in Europe and North America throughout 2023.[32][33][34]

Gabriel announced on 9 January 2023 that he would be releasing singles from the album on each full moon, and the alternate mix (either 'Bright-Side' or 'Dark-Side') along with the In-Side mix every new moon. He has since stated that he might continue in this release format if he has enough stamina to keep up.[35][36][26] Gabriel has stated that a little over twenty songs were in consideration for inclusion on the final album.[26]

Every piece will be accompanied by a bespoke piece of art (as chosen by Peter Gabriel), similarly to the way Us did in 1992, and Up did in 2002. Some of the artists he has collaborated with include Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave, Barthélémy Toguo, Olafur Eliasson, Annette Messager, Antony Micallef, Henry Hudson, Megan Rooney and Cornelia Parker.

The first single to be released from the album was "Panopticom", on the Wolf Moon, 6 January 2023. This was followed by "The Court" on the Snow Moon, "Playing for Time" on the Worm Moon, "i/o" on the Pink Moon, "Four Kinds of Horses" on the Flower Moon, "Road to Joy" on the Strawberry Moon, "So Much" on the Buck Moon, "Olive Tree" on the Sturgeon Moon, and "Love Can Heal" on the Blue Moon.[37][38][39][40] "This Is Home" was released on September 29, the Harvest Moon.[41] And Still will be released on October 27, the Hunter's Moon. The final piece on the album, Live And Let Live will be released on November 27, the Beaver Moon[42]

On i/o The Tour, Gabriel has performed every song from the album, as well as "What Lies Ahead", a song that was considered for the album but was ultimately dropped.[43][44]

On 28 July 2023, a listening session of i/o took place at WOMAD, revealing the track listing of the vinyl version.[45] All digital formats stick to the single release pattern.[46]

On 14 October 2023, Gabriel revealed the album's cover art, shot by photographer Nadav Kander, and announced a physical release of the album slated for December 2023.[2] Four days later, it was announced that the album will be released on 1 December.[3] The bright and dark mixes will be part of the CD and audio Blu-ray versions of the album, while the immersive Atmos mixes will only be part of the audio Blu-ray in their physical form.

Reception

Pre-release

i/o received notoriety for its repeated delays, with Rolling Stone calling it the "Chinese Democracy of Peter Gabriel albums",[47] and Stereogum calling it "the SMiLE (or perhaps the Chinese Democracy) of art-rock."[48]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Peter Gabriel.[49]

No.TitleLength
1."Panopticom"5:13
2."The Court"4:20
3."Playing for Time"6:17
4."Four Kinds of Horses"6:47
5."i/o"3:52
6."Love Can Heal"5:59
7."Road to Joy"5:21
8."So Much"4:50
9."Olive Tree"5:59
10."This Is Home"5:04
11."And Still"?
12."Live and Let Live"?

Charts

Singles

Number Title UK Singles Downloads
1 "Panopticom" 19
2 "The Court" 59
3 "Playing for Time" 83
4 "i/o" 70
5 "Four Kinds of Horses" 65
6 "Road to Joy" 55
7 "So Much" 69
8 "Olive Tree" 78
9 "Love Can Heal" —
10 "This Is Home" 60

Personnel

Principal musicians

  • Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, piano (on "The Court", "So Much", "Olive Tree" and "Love Can Heal"), synths, programming (on "Panopticom", "The Court", "i/o", "Road to Joy", "Olive Tree" and "This Is Home"), manipulated charango (on "Road to Joy"), percussion (on "Love Can Heal")
  • David Rhodes – guitars, acoustic 12 string guitar (on "So Much" and "Olive Tree"), backing vocals
  • Tony Levin – basses
  • Manu Katché – drums (except on "Four Kinds of Horses", "So Much" and "Love Can Heal")
  • Ged Lynch – percussion (on "Olive Tree" and "Love Can Heal")
  • Tom Cawley – piano (on "Playing for Time")
  • Evan Smith – saxophone (on "Olive Tree")
  • Josh Shpak – trumpet (on "Road to Joy" and "Olive Tree")
  • Melanie Gabriel – backing vocals (on "The Court", "Four Kinds of Horses", "So Much" and "Love Can Heal")
  • Ríoghnach Connolly – backing vocals (on "Panopticom", "Love Can Heal" and "This Is Home")
  • Jennie Abrahamson – backing vocals (on "Love Can Heal")
  • Linnea Olsson – cello (on "Love Can Heal"), backing vocals (on "Love Can Heal")
  • Angie Pollock – synths (on "Love Can Heal")
  • Brian Eno – synths (on "Panopticom", "The Court" and "This Is Home"), bells (on "Panopticom"), percussion (on "The Court"), rhythm programming and progressing (on "Four Kinds of Horses" and "Road to Joy"), electric worms and additional synths (on "Four Kinds of Horses"), manipulated guitar and ukulele (on "Road to Joy")
  • Oli Jacobs – synths (on "Panopticom", "Playing for Time", "i/o" and "This Is Home"), programming (on "Panopticom", "The Court", "i/o" and "This Is Home"), piano (on "Four Kinds of Horses")
  • Don-E – bass synth (on "Road to Joy")
  • Katie May – acoustic guitar (on "Panopticom" and "i/o"), percussion (on "The Court" and "This Is Home"), Rickenbacker guitar (on "i/o"), synths (on "i/o"), rhythm programming (on "Four Kinds of Horses"), guitar effects (on "Love Can Heal")
  • Richard Evans – D whistle (on "i/o"), mandolin (on "Olive Tree")
  • Richard Chappell – programming (on "Panopticom", "The Court", "i/o" and "Olive Tree")
  • Richard Russell – filtered percussion (on "Four Kinds of Horses")
  • Hans-Martin Buff – additional percussion and synths (on "Road to Joy")
  • Ron Aslan – additional synths (on "Road to Joy")
  • Oli Middleton – percussion (on "This Is Home")
  • Paolo Fresu - trumpet (on "Live And Let Live")

Orchestral and choral musicians

  • Violins: Everton Nelson, Ian Humphries, Louisa Fuller, Charles Mutter, Cathy Thompson, Natalia Bonner, Richard George, Marianne Haynes, Martin Burgess, Clare Hayes, Debbie Widdup, Odile Ollagnon
  • Violas: Bruce White, Fiona Bonds, Peter Lale, Rachel Roberts
  • Cellos: Ian Burdge, Chris Worsey, Caroline Dale, William Schofield, Tony Woollard, Chris Allan
  • Double basses: Chris Laurence, Stacey Watton, Lucy Shaw
  • Trumpet: Andrew Crowley
  • Tenor trombone/Euphonium: Andy Wood
  • Tenor trombone: Tracy Holloway
  • Bass trombone: Richard Henry
  • Tuba: David Powell
  • French horn: David Pyatt, Richard Bissil
  • Flute: Eliza Marshall
  • Orchestra conductor: John Metcalfe
  • Orchestra leader: Everton Nelson
  • Orchestral arrangements: John Metcalfe, Peter Gabriel (on "The Court", "So Much" and "Olive Tree") and Ed Shearmur (on "Playing for Time")
  • The Soweto Gospel Choir: (on "i/o", "Road to Joy" and "Live and Let Live")[50]
    Soprano: Linda Sambo, Nobuhle Dhlamini, Phello Jiyane, Victoria Sithole
    Alto: Maserame Ndindwa, Phumla Nkhumeleni, Zanele Ngwenya, Duduzile Ngomane
    Tenor: George Kaudi, Vusimuzi Shabalala, Xolani Ntombela, Victor Makhathini
    Bass: Thabang Mkhwanazi, Goodwill Modawu, Warren Mahlangu, Fanizile Nzuza
  • Musical director / vocal arranger: Bongani (Honey) Ncube


First tenors: Per Bergeå Af Geijerstam, Lukas Gavelin, Stefan Grudén, Lionel Guy, Samuel Göranzon, Björn Hagland, Peter Hagland, Henrik Hallingbäck, Magnus Hjerpe, Oskar Johansson, Lars Plahn, Carl Risinger, Alexander Rosenström, Pär Sandberg, Magnus Sjögren, Magnus Store, Stefan Strålsjö, Henrik Sundqvist, Staffan Sundström, Jon Svedin, Olle Terenius, Maki Yamada
Second tenors: Johan Berglund, Kristian Cardell, Jens Carlander, Jun Young Chung, Joakim Ekedahl, Olle Englund, Nils Frykman, Anton Grönberg, Johan Hedlund, Daniel Hjerpe, Fredrik Kjellröier, Kristofer Klerfalk, Nils Klöfver, Mattias Lundblad, Per-Henning Olsson, Peter Stockhaus, Peter Stureson, Anders Sundin, Erik Sylvén, Clas Tegerstrand, Magnus Törnerud, Sebastian Ullmark, Oskar Wetterqvist, Erik Östblom
First basses: Jonas Andersson, Filip Backström, Nils Bergel, Rickard Carlsson, Daniel Dahlborg, Oloph Demker, Nils Edlund, Erik Hartman, Lars Johansson Brissman, Elis Jörpeland, Jan Magnusson, Johan Morén, Tobias Neil, David Nogerius, Stein Norheim, Jacob Risberg, Stefan Simon, Henrik Stolare, Tor Thomsson, Håkan Tribell, Gunnar Wall, Fredrik Wetterqvist, Kristofer Zetterqvist, Samuel Åhman
Second basses: Gustav Alberius, Lars Annernäs, Emil Bengtsson, Anders Bergendahl, Peter Bladh, Max Block, Ludwig Engblom Strucke, Stefan Ernlund, Fredrik Hoffmann, Boris Klanger, Adam Liifw, Andreas Lundquist, Marcus Lundwall, Joakim Lücke, Johan Muskala, Björn Niklasson, Mattias Nilsson, Elias Norrby, Ola Olén, Carl Sandberg, Magnus Schultzberg, Anand Sharma, Isak Sköld, David Stålhane, Stefan Wesslegård, Gustav Åström

  • Choir Conductor: Cecilia Rydinger
  • Choir Arrangement: Peter Gabriel with Dom Shaw and Cecilia Rydinger

Technical personnel

  • Peter Gabriel – production, design concept
  • Richard Russell – additional production on "Four Kinds of Horses"
  • Brian Eno – additional production on "Road to Joy"
  • Richard Chappell – pre-production engineering
  • Oli Jacobs – engineering at Real World
  • Katie May – engineering at Real World
  • Lewis Jones – engineering at British Grove
  • Jacques Du Plessis – engineering at High Seas
  • John Foyle – engineering at Copper House
  • Erland von Heijne – engineering at Alfvénssalen
  • Faye Dolle – assistant engineering at Real World
  • Dom Shaw – assistant engineering at Real World
  • Tom Coath – assistant engineering at British Grove
  • Luie Stylianou – assistant engineering at British Grove
  • Tchad Blake – mixing (Dark-Side)
  • Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing (Bright-Side)
  • Hans-Martin Buff – Dolby Atmos mixing (In-Side)
  • Matt Colton – mastering
  • Nadav Kander - photography

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Peter Gabriel's New Album i/o Is Out In December". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  2. ^ a b Chelosky, Danielle (14 October 2023). "Peter Gabriel's New Album I/O Is Out in December, 10 of Its 12 Tracks Already Streaming". Stereogum. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Peter Gabriel Details i/o, His First New Album in 21 Years". consequence.com. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Genesis News Com [it]: Peter Gabriel - The Making Of UP". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Peter Gabriel teams up with Skrillex for new electronic track 'This Is Home' - listen". smoothradio.com. 9 October 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Up and away with Peter Gabriel", 3 October 2002. BBC News.
  7. ^ a b "Richard Chappell: Recording Peter Gabriel's Up" by Paul Tingen.
  8. ^ "Peter Gabriel: The Making of "i/o"". Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  9. ^ "Peter Gabriel Plugs In" by Andy Greene, 3 November 2005. The Rolling Stone.
  10. ^ Greene, Andy (9 December 2013). "Peter Gabriel Readying 20 New Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  11. ^ "Peter Gabriel - Daddy Long Legs (Back To Front– Live in London)". YouTube. 9 October 2021. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  12. ^ "Deutscher Genesis Fanclub it / Peter Gabriel / Peter Gabriel: "Playing for Time" ab Mitternacht".
  13. ^ Lifton, Dave (9 July 2015). "Peter Gabriel Working on New Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  14. ^ Weingarten, Christopher R. (17 October 2014). "Peter Gabriel Reflects on 25 Years of Real World". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  15. ^ "/ Peter Gabriel: Work on new songs continues ..." www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  16. ^ "/ Peter Gabriel is working on a new song". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Uncut – September 2020". Uncut. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  18. ^ Genesis, Editing of Horizons (14 July 2020). "HR Press Review: Peter Gabriel Talks About New Album On Uncut Magazine – Here's What He Said | Horizons Genesis". Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  19. ^ "/ Peter Gabriel: New album "closer than you think"". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  20. ^ Peter Gabriel talks about the new album @ Santeria Toscana 31 Milan Italy, retrieved 3 November 2021
  21. ^ "Peter Gabriel's Instagram photo: "Recording in the Big Room at @realworldstudios, late Sept/early Oct 2021. 📸 @yorktillyer"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  22. ^ "Peter Gabriel on Instagram: "A few familiar faces at the recent recording session @realworldstudios. @davidrhodesofficial @tonylevin @manukatche 📸 @yorktillyer"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  23. ^ Benitez-Eves, Tina (6 June 2022). "Peter Gabriel Set to Release New Album, His First in 20 Years, Tour in 2023". American Songwriter. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  24. ^ Ewing, Jerry (4 June 2022). "Is Peter Gabriel's new album finally going to be released?". Louder. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  25. ^ Richards, Will (5 June 2022). "Peter Gabriel to release first new album in 20 years this year, according to drummer". NME. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  26. ^ a b c ""I may just keep going…" Peter Gabriel interviewed". 10 March 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  27. ^ a b "Peter Gabriel Details Remix Release Plans for 'i/o' Songs". 22 January 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  28. ^ "Peter Gabriel Starts Revealing the 'Bright' and 'Dark' Side of His Forthcoming 'i/o' Album". 23 January 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  29. ^ "New Atmos mix puts you In-Side the music". PeterGabriel.com. 28 January 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  30. ^ "The song i/o released". PeterGabriel.com. 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  31. ^ "Peter Gabriel talks about "i/o" (new Uncut interview)". Retrieved 4 April 2023.
  32. ^ "i/o The Tour announced". PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  33. ^ Uncut (6 December 2022). "Uncut – February 2023". UNCUT. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  34. ^ "Peter Gabriel - Full Moon December 2022". YouTube. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  35. ^ "Peter Gabriel - Full Moon January 2023". YouTube. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  36. ^ "Peter Gabriel Starts Revealing the 'Bright' and 'Dark' Side of His Forthcoming 'i/o' Album". 23 January 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  37. ^ "New song from Peter Gabriel!". 6 January 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  38. ^ "Full moon calendar 2023: When to see the next full moon". Space.com. November 2022. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  39. ^ "Deutscher Genesis Fanclub it / Peter Gabriel / Peter Gabriel: Der nächste Song heißt "i/o"".
  40. ^ "Peter Gabriel Enlists Brian Eno and XL Recordings' Richard Russell for New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  41. ^ "This Is Home released". PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  42. ^ https://www.genesis-news.com/news-Peter-Gabriel-io-release-announcement-n904.html
  43. ^ "Peter Gabriel Setlist at Tauron Arena, Kraków". setlist.fm. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  44. ^ "Peter Gabriel Setlist at Royal Arena, Copenhagen". setlist.fm. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  45. ^ "/ Peter Gabriel: i/o listening session at WOMAD". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  46. ^ "/ Peter Gabriel: "i/o" release announcement". www.genesis-news.com. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  47. ^ "Peter Gabriel Shares 'Panopticom' From Long-Awaited Album 'i/o'". Rollingstone.com. 6 January 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  48. ^ "Peter Gabriel Albums From Worst To Best". Stereogum.com. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  49. ^ "Genesis News Com [it]: Peter Gabriel - i/o album tracklist revealed".
  50. ^ "Peter Gabriel - Full Moon April 2023" – via YouTube.
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