Song 01: "Been Undone" (3rd January 2026)

Dark-Side Mix
Bright-Side Mix

overview of the o\i article series

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o\i starts with a quiet song that takes a rather bitter view of life. At least, that's what one might think, given that the title '(I've) Been Undone' has a rather negative meaning.

Peter says that the song's origins are very old (from 1995/96), but at the same time it is the newest song for o\i, as it was only finally recorded by the band in October 2025 – just over two months before its release. It also seems that it really came into its own at that time.

Lyrics

A lot of text is spread over the more than seven minutes. A long list enumerates what has ruined or destroyed in life: being ignored, the sound of a weapon, the past that one traces back. Not everything is always completely concrete; sometimes very open images are used, such as 'From the Mandelbrot set, I've been undone'. What exactly is meant by this remains somewhat mysterious, but it fits with Gabriel's explanation that some of the songs on the album are part of the brain project he has been working on for several years. With the exploration of new worlds of perception and possibilities for connection.

However, the lyrics remain very evocative overall, playing with ambiguity, not least in the title, which can also be interpreted positively. 'Undone' in the sense of 'having been taken back, having been reconsidered'. Nevertheless, the sense of brokenness prevails in the lyrics, for example in the middle sections, when more information is needed and one cannot believe 'in something that can never be real'.

But Gabriel also says that some of the songs simply make him happy. And that's the case here too: he sees all the bitterness listed quite positive. You learn from difficult and painful moments in life – often the most. Further development does not always arise from the good.

In the middle section of the piece, the lyrics reassuringly state: 'Just listen and feel.' And at the end, they even say, 'And I feel it in you, you feel it in me.' So the sombre conclusion is that you can feel something after all – in others, in yourself.

Art

The first artwork for the album is by Brazilian artist Janaina Mello Landini (born 1975), dates from 2019, is called 'Ciclotrama 156 (palindrome)' (138 cm x 138 cm) and consists of handmade green cotton rope on linen.

Landini first studied architecture, then fine art, and her work also incorporates insights from physics and mathematics. Her artistic themes are time and diversity.

She often works with strings and ropes, which she weaves and knots into wall hangings, but also into space-filling webs. In many of them, one can recognise roots, branches and trees. Her website provides a comprehensive insight into her work.

Gabriel finds numerous connections to his song in the selected work: the theme of raveling and entanglement or disentanglement; he sees something like brain hemispheres in the depiction, perhaps the thread of life in general.

At the moment, one of Landini's existing objects has been selected for the song – but Gabriel is delighted to announce that another work, created especially for the track, is to follow.

More about the album artwork and the artists behind in our separate article.

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Dark-Side Mix – 3. Januar 2026

Words and Music by Peter Gabriel
Published by Real World Music Ltd / Sony Music Publishing
Produced by Peter Gabriel
Mixed by Tchad Blake
Mastered by Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios
Engineering by Faye Dolle, Katie, May, Dom Shaw, Richard Chappell, Ben Findlay
Assistant engineering by Xav Sinden, Charles Hughes, Maisy Preece
Recorded at Real World Studios, Bath and The Beehive, London

Manu Katché – drums
Tony Levin – bass
David Rhodes – electric guitar
Richard Evans – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin
Faye Dolle – rhythm programming, additional synths, percussion
Charles Hughes – percussion
Ged Lynch – percussion
Peter Gabriel – piano, synths, rhythm programming, vocals, backing vocals

Length 7:39

Available on Streaming services and Bandcamp.

It has been announced that the two mixes will differ more significantly from each other than was the case with i/o. Well, the Dark Side Mix comes across as calm. In a way, it is gentle. Gabriel noted that Tchad Blake likes it when things have time to develop. The length of this first mix certainly confirms this. And also the further structure bears witness to this.

Music

The basis is formed by a harmonium-like accompaniment, into which other sounds are increasingly woven. There is also a gently fluttering rhythm section. Later, powerful, accentuating drums come in, but remain pleasantly integrated into the overall fabric. During the bridge section Arabic-style percussion is mixed in.

The verse melody is simple without being boring. The interludes then are rather quirky and unpredictable, but they remain short. The piece does not have a classic verse-chorus structure.

Been Undone works through its gradual development, building slowly throughout its entire length. It increasingly gains swing and a subtle groove, but remains restrained overall. The lyrics tell of misfortune, but the music is rather conciliatory. Only once does the brutality break in briefly and powerfully, not denying reality – but the indestructible optimism immediately takes over again.

Musicians

Similar to i/o, the album begins with a track featuring a fairly compact line-up. Essentially, this is Gabriel's core band, as they can now rightly be called.

It is noteworthy that Richard Evans is involved. Whether his contribution dates back to the early days of the track (mid-nineties) or was recorded more recently is not immediately apparent. Since Ged Lynch is also involved, who probably has not been back to Real World Studios in the last time, it is evident that longer work went into this track.

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Background info about the song on petergabriel.com
Webseite of Janaina Mello Landini

Discuss this track in this thread in our forum.

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Author: Thomas Schrage