Peter Gabriel's I/O finally dropped and it is a good morning
December 1, 2023 2:04 PM Subscribe
"Peter Gabriel's I/O finally dropped and it is a good morning for some new music." - theBigRedKittyPurrs from earlier today. It's a complicated release [linktree] with three different mixes of the album [Peter explains, 3m] including one immersive audio mix. But I'm here to bring you the music videos from i/o. The first to be released was the disturbing AI hallucination The Court (Dark-Side Mix) (Oranguerillatan Official Video).
Second to be released was Panopticom (Dark-Side Mix) (Vnderworld Official Video) another AI project. Followed by Aardman Animations' Love Can Heal (Bright-Side Mix) (Official Music Video). [Ed note: I have no idea if this is AI generated or hand-created.]
Peter complicates things when he releases The Court (Dark-Side Mix) (Junie Lau Official Video), another AI video that plays with his own likeness. Followed quickly by AI generated Panopticom (Dark-Side Mix) (Lamson Official Version). Rounding out the double trilogy of first videos is Love Can Heal (Dark-Side Mix) (Official Music Video), again by Aardman.
Next up is the title track, i/o (Bright-Side Mix) (Official Music Video).
I have no idea how many videos he's going to release from this album. He's been paying artists for custom art works for each track, like he as for many of his previous releases. And with this many videos so far, it's possible we'll get a lot more.
The use of AI for the videos should be addressed -- all the videos selected are contest winners using Stable Diffusion, Peter very obviously wanted to do this. A good part of the messaging around this album that that technology can and should be a unifying force for good on the planet. That said, there are videos that look like AI that I'm not sure ARE made by AI, just mimicking their qualities. Which is in and of itself an interesting concept.
Also, do people who have never done psychedelic drugs understand how nearly precisely psychedelic some of these AI videos are?
Second to be released was Panopticom (Dark-Side Mix) (Vnderworld Official Video) another AI project. Followed by Aardman Animations' Love Can Heal (Bright-Side Mix) (Official Music Video). [Ed note: I have no idea if this is AI generated or hand-created.]
Peter complicates things when he releases The Court (Dark-Side Mix) (Junie Lau Official Video), another AI video that plays with his own likeness. Followed quickly by AI generated Panopticom (Dark-Side Mix) (Lamson Official Version). Rounding out the double trilogy of first videos is Love Can Heal (Dark-Side Mix) (Official Music Video), again by Aardman.
Next up is the title track, i/o (Bright-Side Mix) (Official Music Video).
I have no idea how many videos he's going to release from this album. He's been paying artists for custom art works for each track, like he as for many of his previous releases. And with this many videos so far, it's possible we'll get a lot more.
The use of AI for the videos should be addressed -- all the videos selected are contest winners using Stable Diffusion, Peter very obviously wanted to do this. A good part of the messaging around this album that that technology can and should be a unifying force for good on the planet. That said, there are videos that look like AI that I'm not sure ARE made by AI, just mimicking their qualities. Which is in and of itself an interesting concept.
Also, do people who have never done psychedelic drugs understand how nearly precisely psychedelic some of these AI videos are?
If you want to listen to this album properly you must wear a jacket.
posted by interogative mood at 2:18 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by interogative mood at 2:18 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I listened to it this morning as I was doing other things and some of it sounded pretty good. A lot of albums have come out over the last couple of months so I'm finding it hard to give everything as much listening time as they deserve, but that's a good problem to have.
I've never done psychedelic drugs so I'll watch the videos and consider them educational!
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:47 PM on December 1, 2023
I've never done psychedelic drugs so I'll watch the videos and consider them educational!
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 2:47 PM on December 1, 2023
Worth noting that the competition for the video ended in April of this year. Haven't checked it in a while, but https://deforum.art/ is what I was using to make similar videos.
Making keyframes for the prompts and camera movements was very primitive back then, mad props for the winner.
posted by daHIFI at 3:17 PM on December 1, 2023
Making keyframes for the prompts and camera movements was very primitive back then, mad props for the winner.
posted by daHIFI at 3:17 PM on December 1, 2023
Seattle show was one of the best shows I've seen in a long time. All of the new tracks from this album were fantastic, as well.
posted by milnak at 3:17 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by milnak at 3:17 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Oh wow, I am honored to be quoted.
I saw him in at the show in Pittsburgh and was mesmerized. He made a point of crediting the artist/artists who designed the background imagery for each piece. I really need to check out the videos.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:24 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
I saw him in at the show in Pittsburgh and was mesmerized. He made a point of crediting the artist/artists who designed the background imagery for each piece. I really need to check out the videos.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 3:24 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
He made a point of crediting the artist/artists who designed the background imagery for each piece.
So, I'd suggest going directly to his YouTube videos page and looking at the Full Moon Updates he's put out since January. Every new song was introduced with one of these Full Moon videos, and he talks about the artists who made the artwork.
These music videos are unrelated to those artworks.
posted by hippybear at 3:31 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
So, I'd suggest going directly to his YouTube videos page and looking at the Full Moon Updates he's put out since January. Every new song was introduced with one of these Full Moon videos, and he talks about the artists who made the artwork.
These music videos are unrelated to those artworks.
posted by hippybear at 3:31 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
I saw him in SF recently. He cited the artists involved in the tour’s art every. Single. Time. Every song. Everyone got credit always, to the point where it cost the show some momentum here and there. I certainly didn’t care; I had wanted to see him live for 20 years.
I was expecting the staid dignity of an Oxbridge Don, and there’s definitely some of that, but he was almost bursting with excitement to talk about the art people were making in collaboration with his music.
Absolute class.
posted by hototogisu at 3:58 PM on December 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
I was expecting the staid dignity of an Oxbridge Don, and there’s definitely some of that, but he was almost bursting with excitement to talk about the art people were making in collaboration with his music.
Absolute class.
posted by hototogisu at 3:58 PM on December 1, 2023 [7 favorites]
The show at the Forum in Los Angeles was fantastic -- and even had a minor hiccup when Peter got one of the singing parts wrong during "Don't Give Up" which he moved on from with the aplomb of a decades-long professional.
I think the album is great, and like nearly all of his albums will reward many very careful listens, but it lives somewhere on a metaphorical plane with Third by Portishead. It sounds like a great follow-up to the previous album and sounds like it could have (maybe should have) come out only a handful of years later, not one or two decades later.
posted by tclark at 5:04 PM on December 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
I think the album is great, and like nearly all of his albums will reward many very careful listens, but it lives somewhere on a metaphorical plane with Third by Portishead. It sounds like a great follow-up to the previous album and sounds like it could have (maybe should have) come out only a handful of years later, not one or two decades later.
posted by tclark at 5:04 PM on December 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Also, do people who have never done psychedelic drugs understand how nearly precisely psychedelic some of these AI videos are?
You've hit on something quite important here about perception and consciousness that I am not skilled enough to fully unpack. But the basic idea, that if we tweak our perceptions just a bit we can get trippy psychedellic imagery, and that this is also what AI can often parse when riffiing on imagery, is very compelling.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:21 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
You've hit on something quite important here about perception and consciousness that I am not skilled enough to fully unpack. But the basic idea, that if we tweak our perceptions just a bit we can get trippy psychedellic imagery, and that this is also what AI can often parse when riffiing on imagery, is very compelling.
posted by Meatbomb at 5:21 PM on December 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
I saw him in SF recently. He cited the artists involved in the tour’s art every. Single. Time. Every song.
I saw the tour too, and he even thanked the roadies and showed a few of them on the screen. That's the first time I ever remember an artist explicitly thanking the road crew. I know it's a concert, but Gabriel came across as a genuinely humble and self-effacing guy who really just wanted a focus kept on the music, art, and other artists. It was really refreshing, and of course we got to hear Sledgehammer and Solsbury Hill too. He still sounds great, by the way.
posted by fortitude25 at 6:37 PM on December 1, 2023 [8 favorites]
I saw the tour too, and he even thanked the roadies and showed a few of them on the screen. That's the first time I ever remember an artist explicitly thanking the road crew. I know it's a concert, but Gabriel came across as a genuinely humble and self-effacing guy who really just wanted a focus kept on the music, art, and other artists. It was really refreshing, and of course we got to hear Sledgehammer and Solsbury Hill too. He still sounds great, by the way.
posted by fortitude25 at 6:37 PM on December 1, 2023 [8 favorites]
I read this as Peter Gabriel's IQ dropped and I thought, it's about time. He's always been kind of a smarty pants.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:10 PM on December 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 7:10 PM on December 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
I guess I'm just going to have to start going outside now to find out when it's a full moon.
posted by fairmettle at 8:14 PM on December 1, 2023
posted by fairmettle at 8:14 PM on December 1, 2023
We saw him in Dallas. It was a bucket list show and worth every bit of trouble and pain (I was getting sick and feeling terrible) I dealt with to see it. Excited to listen to the album in one go now!
posted by gentlyepigrams at 8:55 PM on December 1, 2023
posted by gentlyepigrams at 8:55 PM on December 1, 2023
I don't think I've heard anything he's done since, really, the So era. I'd have to say this isn't a lesser effort at all; it's pretty terrific. Thanks for clueing me in.
posted by Sing Or Swim at 9:18 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Sing Or Swim at 9:18 PM on December 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
I've never done psychedelic drugs so I'll watch the videos and consider them educational!
I'm pretty sure you'd find Mr. Gabriel is with you in this regard unless he's made some lifestyle changes in the past decade or two. I do remember reading an interview with him (the 1980s probably) where he went into depth on one of the very few times he got high on anything. It was hashish and we went for a walk in the nearby countryside and got quite confused, didn't like it at all.
The Genesis song Supper's Ready is about many things but at it's root is an evening when his wife had over-imbibed in psychedelics and was having a genuinely horrific experience.
posted by philip-random at 9:44 AM on December 2, 2023
I'm pretty sure you'd find Mr. Gabriel is with you in this regard unless he's made some lifestyle changes in the past decade or two. I do remember reading an interview with him (the 1980s probably) where he went into depth on one of the very few times he got high on anything. It was hashish and we went for a walk in the nearby countryside and got quite confused, didn't like it at all.
The Genesis song Supper's Ready is about many things but at it's root is an evening when his wife had over-imbibed in psychedelics and was having a genuinely horrific experience.
posted by philip-random at 9:44 AM on December 2, 2023
The visual creativity and complexity is mind blowing. I hope at least one is Oscar-eligible and submitted.
posted by billsaysthis at 8:04 PM on December 2, 2023
posted by billsaysthis at 8:04 PM on December 2, 2023
The Genesis song Supper's Ready is about so many things it would require an entire 'nother MetaFilter to contain all the subjects that could be posted about it.
posted by hippybear at 8:09 PM on December 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 8:09 PM on December 2, 2023 [2 favorites]
Toronto show was jaw dropping. My sole fanfare thread to date to discuss it, if you were there.
posted by hearthpig at 6:31 AM on December 3, 2023
posted by hearthpig at 6:31 AM on December 3, 2023
I saw him in Seattle, completed my set of Genesis Members, having seen Hackett with GTR a while back and Genesis on their final tour, and now at last Peter.
The show was beautiful and transcendent, and I'm so glad I made the effort to get to the show. A random MeFite gifted me the ticket, not to meet me there just me solo, and to them I remain grateful for the experience.
Peter was making a big deal out of having Tony Levin in the band, and honestly I would expect nothing less of him, but I think it might be the fourth or fifth show I've seen Levin playing bass for, so yeah he's great but he's a bit omnipresent too.
The set was 22 songs, 11 from the new album. That's really bold. I appreciate artists with a deep legacy who actually tour the new album that intensely rather than playing all old stuff and three new tracks.
posted by hippybear at 3:08 PM on December 3, 2023
The show was beautiful and transcendent, and I'm so glad I made the effort to get to the show. A random MeFite gifted me the ticket, not to meet me there just me solo, and to them I remain grateful for the experience.
Peter was making a big deal out of having Tony Levin in the band, and honestly I would expect nothing less of him, but I think it might be the fourth or fifth show I've seen Levin playing bass for, so yeah he's great but he's a bit omnipresent too.
The set was 22 songs, 11 from the new album. That's really bold. I appreciate artists with a deep legacy who actually tour the new album that intensely rather than playing all old stuff and three new tracks.
posted by hippybear at 3:08 PM on December 3, 2023
This has been a tough album for me, because I really don't like it, but other people seem to, and so I keep dipping back in to see what I might be missing. But I think, for me, this is an album by Peter Gabriel that isn't, y'know, a Peter Gabriel album.
Where are the pop sensibility, the experimenting with new sounds, the raw anguish and the sense of humor? Where's the life? The idea of each song having a light and dark version sounds interesting, but doesn't really go anywhere; the versions simply don't have anything to say to one another, they're not in conflict or contrast, they're just slightly different ways of playing the same dull song.
(I erased a bunch more stuff--you can't follow someone for decades, having their music be a central part of your life, without finding you have a LOT to say about them...but, y'know, nobody needs a lecture on why the thing they like isn't any good. So I'll just stop here.)
posted by mittens at 3:38 PM on December 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Where are the pop sensibility, the experimenting with new sounds, the raw anguish and the sense of humor? Where's the life? The idea of each song having a light and dark version sounds interesting, but doesn't really go anywhere; the versions simply don't have anything to say to one another, they're not in conflict or contrast, they're just slightly different ways of playing the same dull song.
(I erased a bunch more stuff--you can't follow someone for decades, having their music be a central part of your life, without finding you have a LOT to say about them...but, y'know, nobody needs a lecture on why the thing they like isn't any good. So I'll just stop here.)
posted by mittens at 3:38 PM on December 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
mittens: I do hope you find a way into the album, but understand if you can't. It feels to me like a bit of a culmination of the stuff he started with So and then left off for a long while while he did his New Blood experiments.
FWIW, Olive Free is my favorite track off i/o, so maybe check that one out.
posted by hippybear at 4:12 PM on December 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
FWIW, Olive Free is my favorite track off i/o, so maybe check that one out.
posted by hippybear at 4:12 PM on December 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Also, the chorus of the title track of this album... just echoes in my brain completely unbidden, unconnected to whatever is going on... just a sudden little "Eye Oh, EyeOH!"...
WTF, Peter... I know you've studied a lot of things like body language and subconscious communication across the decades... what black magic have you woven into this album?
posted by hippybear at 7:51 PM on December 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
WTF, Peter... I know you've studied a lot of things like body language and subconscious communication across the decades... what black magic have you woven into this album?
posted by hippybear at 7:51 PM on December 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
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