i/o [Dark-Side Mix]

by Peter Gabriel

Overview

Peter Gabriel hid I/O, his first album in 21 years, in plain sight. Over the course of 2023, he released every one of its 12 songs as a single, each in two separate mixes (one "Bright," one "Dark"), and then toured the record -- all before its December release. A steady drip of singles didn't build anticipation for I/O -- many of the tracks didn't attract much chatter -- so much as get his audience accustomed to listening to new Peter Gabriel music again, allowing them to focus on a song at a time instead of immediately immersing themselves in an album that has its own intricate clockwork. Gabriel took his time crafting I/O, so listening to it slowly and steadily lets the record unfold and lets the distance between the decades narrow. In many ways, I/O picks up where Up ended, sounding a bit like a relic from the height of the CD era when albums were crafted as a long, continuous experience showcasing the outer limits of high-end audio. It also follows a recognizable template, balancing its innate moodiness with a few sprightly numbers that relieve the tension -- a blueprint that's been in place since So. The familiar approach helps illuminate how I/O does mark an emotional progression, finding Gabriel curiously optimistic as he searches for new beginnings, discovering glimmers of hope within the darkness. This shift isn't merely evident in the "Bright Side" mix, either. There's an inherent openness to the songs Gabriel completed for I/O, a spirit evident in such titles as "Road to Joy," "Love Can Heal," "This Is Home," and "Live and Let Live." Some of these songs surge, some simmer, but they all return to an idea essayed on the title track: "stuff coming out, stuff going in/I'm just a part of everything," a worldview that's intimate and all-encompassing. What makes I/O unique, even special, is that the process of searching isn't central to the finished product. There's no restlessness here, only acceptance, a quality that gives I/O a quiet power that can't help but build over time. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	12/01/2023
Label:	Real World Records
UPC:	0884108013755
Rank:	4384

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Peter Gabriel   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals,Charango,Percussion,Tambourine,Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
David Moreno   Primary Artist
Nick Cave   Primary Artist
Henry Hudson   Primary Artist
Cornelia Parker   Primary Artist
Antony Micallef   Primary Artist
Megan Rooney   Primary Artist
Ai Weiwei   Primary Artist
The Soweto Gospel Choir   Choir/Chorus
Tony Levin   Bass,Bass (Electric)
Peter Lale   Viola
Everton Nelson   Violin,Orchestra Leader
Steve Gadd   Loops,Drums (Snare)
Richard Henry   Trombone (Bass)
Orphei Draengar   Choir/Chorus
Caroline Dale   Cello
David Powell   Tuba
Natalia Bonner   Violin
David Rhodes   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background),Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
Ged Lynch   Percussion
Angie Pollock   Synthesizer
Ron Aslan   Synthesizer
Richard Chappell   Piano
Cathy Thompson   Violin
Melanie Gabriel   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Vusimuzi Shabalala   Soloist,Tenor (Vocal)
David Pyatt   French Horn
Brian Eno   Bells,Guitar,Rhythm,Ukulele,Percussion,Synthesizer
Bruce White   Viola
Deborah Widdup   Violin
Richard Evans   Mandolin
Richard George   Violin
Hans-Martin Buff   Guitar,Clapping,Keyboards,Percussion,Synthesizer,Sound Effects,Guitar (Electric)
Manu Katche   Drums
Chris Worsey   Cello
Lucy Shaw   Double Bass
Andy Wood   Trombone,Euphonium,Trombone (Tenor)
Chris Laurence   Double Bass
Paolo Fresu   Trumpet
Maserame Ndindwa   Alto
Ian Humphries   Violin
Ian Burdge   Cello
Katie May   Guitar,Percussion,Synthesizer,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (Rickenbacker)
Richard Bissell   French Horn
Fiona Bonds   Viola
William Schofield   Cello
Andrew Crowley   Trumpet,Trumpet (Natural)
Martin Burgess   Violin
Rachel Roberts   Viola
Clare Hayes   Violin
Richard Bissill   French Horn
Richard Russell   Percussion
Louisa Fuller   Violin
Cecilia Rydinger Alin   Conductor,Choir Conductor
Tony Woollard   Cello
Charles Mutter   Violin
Stacey Watton   Double Bass
Tom Cawley   Piano
John Metcalfe   Conductor,Choir Conductor
Chris Allan   Cello
Tracy Holloway   Trombone,Trombone (Tenor)
Stuart McCallum   Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Evan Smith   Saxophone
Bongani Ncube   Musical Director
Victor Makhathini   Soloist,Tenor (Vocal)
Eliza Marshall   Flute
Don E.   Bass
Marianne Haynes   Violin
Jennie Abrahamson   Vocals (Background)
Linnea Olsson   Cello,Vocals (Background)
New Blood Orchestra   Orchestra
Odile Ollagnon   Violin
Rioghnach Connolly   Vocals (Background)
Tony Wollard   Cello
Oli Jacobs   Piano,Guitar,Percussion,Tambourine,Synthesizer
George Kaudi   Tenor (Vocal)
Linda Sambo   Soprano (Vocal)
Phumla Nkhumeleni   Alto,Soloist
Thabang Mkhwanazi   Bass (Vocal)
Warren Mahlangu   Bass (Vocal)
Josh Shpak   Trumpet,French Horn,Trumpet (Natural)
Duduzile Ngomane   Alto,Soloist
Zanele Ngwenya   Alto
Don E   Keyboard Bass
Oli Middleton   Percussion
Tracey Holloway   Trombone
Martin Burgees   Violin
Faye Dolle   Vocals (Background)
Claire Hayes   Violin
Victoria Sithole   Soprano (Vocal)
Phello Jiyane   Soloist,Soprano (Vocal)
Nobuhle Dhlamini   Soprano (Vocal)
Goodwill Modawu   Bass (Vocal)
Fanizile Nzuza   Soloist,Bass (Vocal)
Xolani Ntombela   Tenor (Vocal)
Marianne Hayes   Violin

Technical Credits

Stefano Amerio   Engineer
Tchad Blake   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Everton Nelson   Leader
Edward Shearmur   Arranger,Orchestral Arrangements
Lewis Jones   Engineer
Mark "Spike" Stent   Mixing,Mixing Engineer
Richard Chappell   Recording,Programming,Pre-Production,Drum Programming,Rhythm Programming,Pre-Production Engineer
Brian Eno   Producer,Programming,Drum Programming,Rhythm Programming
Hans-Martin Buff   Mixing,Effects,Programming,Drum Programming,Rhythm Programming
Peter Gabriel   Design,Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Programming,Drum Programming,Choir Arrangement,Rhythm Programming,Orchestral Arrangements
Katie May   Engineer,Recording,Programming,Drum Programming,Rhythm Programming
Nadav Kander   Photography
Marc Bessant   Design,Graphic Design
Richard Russell   Producer,Programming,Drum Programming
Cecilia Rydinger Alin   Choir Arrangement
Matt Colton   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Lucy Whalley   Contractor,Orchestra Contractor
John Metcalfe   Arranger,Orchestra Contractor,Orchestral Arrangements
Skrillex   Music Assistant
Bongani Ncube   Choir Arrangement,Vocal Arrangement
Susie Gillis   Contractor,Orchestra Contractor
Dave Foster   Sheet Music
John Foyle   Engineer
Oli Jacobs   Engineer,Recording,Programming,Drum Programming,Rhythm Programming
Jacques du Plessis   Recording
Dom Shaw   Engineer,Choir Arrangement,Assistant Engineer,Editorial Assistant
Bob Mackenzie   Assistant Engineer
Faye Dolle   Engineer,Assistant Engineer,Editorial Assistant
Louis Rogove   Assistant Engineer