New York, NY (Top40 Charts) On the full moon, Tuesday, August 1,
Peter Gabriel releases the eighth track from the album i/o. This month the song is "Olive Tree" and the first version to be heard is the Bright-Side Mix, by Mark 'Spike' Stent.
Written and produced by
Peter Gabriel, "Olive Tree" is another song about connection, both how we interact with nature and the other species around us, but also a greater sensitivity to the potential for broadening human experience, 'in some ways I do think we are part of everything and we probably have means to connect and communicate with everything that we often shut off. We only want to see and listen to the things that seem important and relevant to us and shut out the noise of everything else when, probably, hidden in that noise there are all sorts of things that can help us realise our place in this future world.'
Like the song Road to Joy, released in June, "Olive Tree" is also part of a separate brain-related project that
Peter is currently working on, as well as being partly influenced by his interest in the brain reading research of the likes of Jack Gallant's Lab at
Berkeley and Mary Lou Jepsen's work at Openwater.cc, 'it feeds into this idea that we're no longer these islands that have our own private thoughts, that our thoughts are going to get opened up to the outside world. The lubrication that allows society to function is based, in part, on not being able to read what's going on in other people's minds, so unless we get more comfortable with how we really are, we're probably going to prefer to stay partly buried in our private worlds.'
Musically, "Olive Tree" provides another up-tempo moment for the i/o record, 'I wanted it to have some speed to it but I also wanted some mystery, too. I think it is a celebration in a way and there's a real sense of being alive.' The song features a string arrangement from John Metcalfe, with further contributions from Manu Katché on drums, Tony Levin on bass,
David Rhodes on guitar, Josh Shpak on trumpet and additional percussion from Jed Lynch. The song was recorded at Real World Studios, Bath, The Beehive and British Grove, London.
This month's full moon release comes with artwork from the artist Barthélémy Togou and his work "Chroniques avec la Nature".
'I was aware of Barthélémy Toguo's work, which I found very haunting and very strong, but I first met him at WOMAD in 2015, when he came as artist in residence. I wasn't talking about this project at that time, but when I was thinking about re-connecting to nature and his work seemed ideal. I think it's super strong and looks wonderful on stage.
Barthélémy listened to the song and his piece was created as a direct response to the music, which hasn't always been the case with the other artists, but he was determined that he should generte something new and I'm very glad he did, it's wonderful.'
Just like the previous full moon releases, "Olive Tree" will come with differing mix approaches from Mark 'Spike' Stent (Bright-Side Mix), released on August 1, and also from Tchad
Blake (Dark-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff's Atmos mix (In-Side Mix), released later in the month.
Further details on the release plans for the full album will follow.
Barthélémy Togou: https://www.barthelemytoguo.com
Cover image: 'Chroniques avec la Nature' by Barthélémy Togou
The i/o tour continues in North
America in
September and October.
All dates are on sale now. livenation.com / petergabriel.com
i/o The Tour 2023:
Fri, 6th Jan 2023 QC Videotron Centre 8
September Quebec City
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 ON Canadian Tire Centre 9
September Ottawa
Mon, 2nd Jan 2023 ON Scotiabank
Arena 11
September Toronto
Wed, 4th Jan 2023 QC Bell Centre 13
September Montreal
Thu, 5th Jan 2023 MA TD Garden 14
September Boston
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 PA Wells Fargo Center 16
September Philadelphia
Mon, 2nd Jan 2023 NY Madison
Square Garden 18
September New York
Wed, 4th Jan 2023 DC Capital One
Arena 20
September Washington
Fri, 6th Jan 2023 NY Keybank Center 22
September Buffalo
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 PA PPG Paints
Arena 23
September Pittsburgh
Mon, 2nd Jan 2023 OH Nationwide
Arena 25
September Columbus
Wed, 4th Jan 2023 OH Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse 27
September Cleveland
Fri, 6th Jan 2023 MI
Little Caesars Arena 29
September Detroit
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 IL United Center 30
September Chicago
Mon, 2nd Jan 2023 WI Fiserv Forum 2 October Milwaukee
Tue, 3rd Jan 2023 MN Xcel
Energy Center 3 October St Paul
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 BC Rogers
Arena 7 October Vancouver
Sun, 1st Jan 2023 WA Climate Pledge
Arena 8 October Seattle
Wed, 4th Jan 2023 CA Chase Center 11 October San Francisco
Fri, 6th Jan 2023 CA Kia Forum 13 October Los Angeles
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 CA Acrisure
Arena 14 October Palm Springs
Mon, 2nd Jan 2023 CO Ball
Arena 16 October Denver
Wed, 4th Jan 2023 TX Moody Center 18 October Austin
Thu, 5th Jan 2023 TX American Airlines Center 19 October Dallas
Sat, 7th Jan 2023 TX Toyota Center 21 October Houston.
