Peter Gabriel has opened the next chapter of his long, carefully evolving recording legacy, unveiling the first new song from his forthcoming album O\I. Released on Saturday, 3 January 2026, timed to coincide with the first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon, the track Been Undone marks the beginning of another year long lunar release cycle, following the format that defined Gabriel’s 2023 album I/O.
Been Undone was written and produced by Peter Gabriel and recorded at Real World Studios in Bath and The Beehive in London. The version released with the Wolf Moon is the Dark-Side Mix, mixed by long time collaborator Tchad Blake. As with I/O, each track from O\I will ultimately exist in multiple interpretations, with a Bright-Side Mix to follow on the new moon later in the month, handled by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.
Announcing the project, Gabriel said, ‘I’m delighted to say that tonight, at the full moon, we will be beginning another year of full moon releases under the name o\i.
‘The songs are a mix of thoughts and feelings.
‘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.
‘These are my lumpy bits -i/o: the inside has a new way out and o\i: the outside has a new way in.
‘We are not, and have never been, the exclusively self-determining, independent beings that have been given the run of the world. We are something else, a part of nature, a part of everything and feeling a connection, shaking our booty and giving and receiving some love can help us find our place – and put a big smile on our faces.
‘Some of these songs are going to form part of the brain project that I’ve been exploring for a number of years, and some just make me feel happy. I hope you like them.’
The release of O\I arrives just over two years after I/O, Gabriel’s tenth studio album, which finally emerged in December 2023 following more than two decades of development. I/O was his first album of new original material since Up in 2002, closing the longest gap between studio releases in his career. Built around the same lunar release concept, I/O delivered a new song on each full moon throughout 2023, with alternate mixes unveiled on the following new moons.
That album went on to become Gabriel’s first UK number one since So in 1986 and earned significant industry recognition, including Grammy Awards in 2025 for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Best Immersive Audio Album. It also reaffirmed Gabriel’s commitment to treating albums as long form artistic statements, rather than collections of isolated tracks.
With O\I, Gabriel is extending and refining those ideas. Each song released across 2026 will be accompanied by a bespoke piece of visual art, continuing a tradition that stretches back to Us in 1992 and Up in 2002. Been Undone is paired with Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome) by São Paulo based artist Janaina Mello Landini.
Mello Landini’s work draws on her background in architecture and her interest in physical and mathematical systems. Her Ciclotrama series uses unravelled rope arranged into intricate, branching, fractal-like structures that explore the relationship between individual elements and the larger whole. In Ciclotrama 156 (Palindrome), those ideas are expressed through a mirrored composition built around a central knot, allowing the piece to be read forward and backward, visually and structurally.
Gabriel said of the collaboration, ‘The first artwork is a special piece from Janaina Mello Landini. The way she takes the rope and moves it out, unravelling it, is almost like fractals or tree trunks and looks like the brain in some ways too, so I see a lot of entry points.
I am delighted that Janaina is willing to participate and be part of the process. We are using one of her existing images for this month to open the whole proceedings but I’m excited that she’s now going to create a piece, especially for the song. That always gives it a little more excitement from my end to see what’s going to come up. Please do check out her work.’
Across 2026, Gabriel will release a new song from O\I with each full moon, gradually revealing the complete album by the end of the year. As before, Dark-Side and Bright-Side mixes will offer contrasting perspectives on the same material, reinforcing Gabriel’s long standing interest in how production choices shape emotional and psychological impact.
Further details on the full album release are expected to follow later in the year.
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
