Peter Gabriel has announced full release details of o\i, his new 13-track studio album and companion piece to 2023’s acclaimed i/o. Set for release on 27th November 2026, the record completes an ambitious 25-track project that has seen the legendary songwriter unveil new material in monthly instalments, each timed to coincide with the full moon.
Peter Gabriel @ The O2 Arena
Describing the scale of the undertaking, Gabriel says: “This record has been more of a marathon than a sprint – it’s the longest album I have ever put out with 13 tracks that complete the i/o / o\i 25 track joint project.”
The new album follows a year of full moon releases and arrives just three years after i/o, which topped the UK Albums Chart. It also marks the shortest gap between Gabriel’s studio albums since the early 1980s.
While o\i takes its name from a reflection of its predecessor, the two records are closely connected in their subject matter. Both explore humanity’s relationship with nature, the passage of time, the growing influence of technology and our place in the wider world. “Trying to get a handle on where you fit in life, that’s what I write about a lot,” Gabriel explains.
Across its 13 tracks, o\i moves between intimate reflections and expansive ideas, balancing songs of emotional depth with moments of optimism, love and joy. Its lyrical themes consider an uncertain future and the changes that may reshape society, with Gabriel identifying artificial intelligence, quantum computing and brain-computer interfaces as three major forces driving an unprecedented period of transition. “The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings,” he 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.”
He also reflects on humanity’s relationship with the natural world, challenging the idea that people exist independently of the environment around them: “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.
“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.”
Peter Gabriel @ The O2 Arena
Summing up the relationship between the two albums, Gabriel describes i/o as the inside finding a new way out, while o\i represents the outside finding a new way in.
Written and produced by Gabriel, the album was recorded primarily at Real World Studios and his home studio. As with much of his work, the songs have emerged from different periods of his creative life, with some written since i/o and others taking years, or even decades, to reach completion. “Sometimes things take time,” he says. “Most people do stuff a lot faster – but I have no problem with understanding my own process. Some things will mature and evolve spontaneously and some will just stay hidden-away in a box until their moment in the light appears.”
The record features contributions from several long-standing members of Gabriel’s musical circle, including guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché. They are joined by fellow members of the i/o touring band Richard Evans, Josh Shpak and Don E, alongside Real World staffers Faye Dolle and Katie May.
Peter Gabriel @ The O2 Arena
The New Blood Orchestra, led by John Metcalfe, also features, as do the Soweto Gospel Choir and Swedish male choir Orphei Drängar. Further 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 once again provides vocal support.
The album will be available in two stereo mixes. The Bright-Side mix is handled by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, while Tchad Blake takes charge of the Dark-Side mix, with the exception of Who Are We Talking To?, mixed by Mike Elizondo. Both versions will feature in a four-CD package, while each mix will also be available separately as a double vinyl release. A digital-only Dolby Atmos In-Side mix, shaped by Hans-Martin Buff, completes the range of listening formats.
Visual art remains an integral part of the project. As with the monthly full moon releases, Gabriel has invited artists working across a wide range of disciplines to create pieces inspired by the music. The contributions encompass painting, sculpture, installation, embroidery, weaving and even a collaboration involving spiders.
The artists featured 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 album cover photograph is by renowned photographer Nadav Kander.
With o\i, the monthly releases finally come together as the second half of a 25-track body of work. Across two connected albums in three years, Peter Gabriel has created an expansive collection that looks both inward and outward, reflecting on the personal, the natural world and the technological changes shaping the future.
Peter Gabriel From The Fireside To Artificial Intelligence: Input/Output Tour At The O2 Arena
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