Peter Gabriel's new single "Panopticom" from first new album in two decades, "i/o"

[progressoid]

January 6, 2023

Back in 2005, Peter Gabriel told Rolling Stone that he was making steady progress on his new LP i/o after three years of work. “At the moment, I’m trying to write principally about birth and death, with the sex in the middle,” he said, noting that he was producing the album himself. “My mental process is so slow, that it’s not really fair to take that time out of anyone else’s life.”

Eighteen years later, the Chinese Democracy of Peter Gabriel albums is finally on the verge of release. Leadoff single “Panopticom” was shared this morning. It features bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes, drummer Manu Katché, and backing vocals by Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath. According to a press release, Brian Eno contributed the “haunting electronics.”

“The first song is based on an idea I have been working on to initiate the creation of an infinitely expandable accessible data globe: The Panopticom,” Gabriel said in a statement. “We are beginning to connect a like-minded group of people who might be able to bring this to life, to allow the world to see itself better and understand more of what’s really going on.”

“Panopticom” was released to coincide with a full moon this evening, and subsequent i/o track releases will also be timed to the lunar cycle. “Some of what I’m writing about this time is the idea that we seem incredibly capable of destroying the planet that gave us birth and that unless we find ways to reconnect ourselves to nature and to the natural world we are going to lose a lot,” Gabriel said. “A simple way of thinking about where we fit in to all of this is looking up at the sky… and the moon has always drawn me to it.”

more...https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chinese-democracy-peter-gabriel-albums-finally-coming-out-1234656806/

[ZZenith]

1. He had two different audio engineers mix the record

And made both of their mixes available. Very interesting how different the same song can feel.

I prefer the “dark side” mix of this particular track by Tchad Blake, though they are both excellent.

[progressoid]

2. Nice!

I didn't know that.