• News

• All

Jan 06, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Nadav Kander

Peter Gabriel has shared a new song, “Panopticom.” It’s the first single from his forthcoming new album, i/o, which will be his first album of original songs in over 20 years. “Panopticom” features Brian Eno. Longtime collaborators Tony Levin, David Rhodes, and Manu Katché also play on the track. Gabriel has also shared an artwork to accompany the song, by artist David Spriggs. Listen to “Panopticom” below, followed by the artwork and Gabriel’s previously announced tour dates.

“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,” says Gabriel in a press release. “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 in conjunction with the first full moon of 2023 and the plan is for the release of additional singles to also be tied to the lunar phases.

“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,” explains Gabriel. “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.”

Gabriel will be sharing a different piece of artwork for each single from i/o. “We’ve been looking at the work of many hundreds of artists,” says Gabriel. “Panopticom” is accompanied by David Spriggs’ “Red Gravity.”

“It was the theme of surveillance that connected me with the work of David Spriggs because he’d done a piece relating to that,” explains Gabriel. “David does this amazing stuff using many layers of transparencies so you get these strange creations with a real intensity to them. Part of what he does is imagine what art might look like a few years in the future and then try and create accordingly and I think he’s done that very successfully in this particular piece.”

The release date for i/o has yet to be announced.

Gabriel’s last full-length album of original materials was 2002’s Up, although in 2010 he released the Scratch My Back covers album and in 2011 he released New Blood, which featured orchestral re-recordings of songs from across Gabriel’s career. Gabriel’s last full tour was 2014’s Back to Front Tour, which celebrated his classic 1986 album So.

The new tour will feature Gabriel’s regular band-mates Tony Levin, David Rhodes, and Manu Katché and will include songs from i/o, as well as ones across his back catalogue.

Also read our previous interview between Gabriel and Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry.

Peter Gabriel 2023 Tour Dates:

05-18 Krakow, Poland - Tauron Arena
05-20 Verona, Italy - Verona Arena
05-21 Milan, Italy - Mediolanum Arena
05-23 Paris, France - AccorHotels Arena
05-24 Lille, France - Stade Pierre-Mauroy
05-26 Berlin, Germany - Waldbuehne
05-28 Munich, Germany - Koenigsplatz
05-30 Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena
05-31 Stockholm, Sweden - Avicii Arena
06-02 Bergen, Norway - Koengen
06-05 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome
06-06 Antwerp, Belgium - Sportpaleis
06-08 Zurich, Switzerland - Hallenstadion
06-10 Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena
06-12 Hamburg, Germany - Barclays Arena
06-13 Frankfurt, Germany - Festhalle
06-15 Bordeaux, France - Arkea Arena
06-17 Birmingham, England - Utilita Arena
06-19 London, England - The O2
06-22 Glasgow, Scotland - OVO Hydro
06-23 Manchester, England - AO Arena
06-25 Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.