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Cool Media, LLC is an online magazine devoted to music, culture, books, tech, and ideas that challenge and inspire. We celebrate innovation, thoughtfulness, and connection.

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You'll find essays on music legends, deep dives into education, technology reviews, meditative practices, and tributes to underappreciated cultural icons.

Peter Gabriel onstage with Genesis in 1974 Photograph Rex Features

Now, Why Peter Gabriel Is Here for Us

Peter Gabriel is an artist who remains deeply connected to progressive music fans and beyond—his early years with Genesis redefined rock performance, blending charisma with a shamanic stage presence and artistic risk-taking, pushing the boundaries of live music. When Gabriel left Genesis in 1975, he left behind a polished, thriving band. He set out on a solo path, leading to a series of groundbreaking albums that expanded his musical identity and message.

After departing Genesis, Gabriel released two self-titled albums that, while sonically distinct, shared a conceptual unity. These albums, affectionately known as Car and Scratch, marked the beginning of Gabriel’s journey as an innovator who refused to adhere to the predictable.

Peter Gabriel (1977) – Car

Gabriel’s first solo album, released in February 1977, is now known as Car due to its cover image featuring him in a rain-streaked car. This album is as striking in concept as it sounds, blending introspective lyrics with varied arrangements that hint at rock, folk, and proto-new wave. The lead single, “Solsbury Hill,” became an instant classic, reflecting Gabriel’s personal and spiritual experience atop Solsbury Hill in Somerset. The song’s theme of liberation resonates deeply, capturing his journey away from Genesis as a leap of faith and a journey of self-discovery.

The Car album also introduced Gabriel’s experimental approach to music production. He collaborated with producer Bob Ezrin, known for his work with Alice Cooper and Pink Floyd, who brought a polished edge to the album’s ambitious tracks. Songs like “Modern Love” and “Here Comes the Flood” highlight Gabriel’s emerging style—a fusion of rock and storytelling that would become a hallmark of his career.

Peter Gabriel (1978) – Scratch

Gabriel’s second self-titled album, released in June 1978, is known as Scratch for its cover art, which depicts Gabriel scratching the air with his fingernails. This album is rawer, edgier, and more confrontational than his first, with Gabriel working closely with producer Robert Fripp, King Crimson guitarist, to craft a sound that felt simultaneously unpolished and highly intentional. Scratch sees Gabriel exploring themes of identity, alienation, and personal transformation, driven by his ever-present desire to transcend traditional rock boundaries.

Songs like “D.I.Y.” reflect Gabriel’s complex relationship with the music industry and his identity as an independent artist. The album’s experimental structure allowed him to explore new techniques, layering sound in ways rarely seen in rock. Gabriel’s commitment to artistic growth was clear—Scratch was a direct answer to the smoother tones of Car, signaling his refusal to settle into a single style or genre.

Peter Gabriel’s Path Forward

Gabriel’s career evolved with each album. By 1986, with the release of his fifth album, he finally moved away from the self-titled format. So marked a new chapter, pairing deeply personal lyrics with global sounds and establishing Gabriel as a voice for social justice and activism. Hits like “Sledgehammer” and “In Your Eyes” brought him international acclaim, with “In Your Eyes” becoming an iconic anthem of love and longing.

Today, in his Wiltshire home, Gabriel continues to operate Real World Records, a label dedicated to amplifying world music and nurturing artistic diversity. He has released 11 solo albums, each a testament to his dedication to creative exploration and cultural advocacy. Gabriel’s commitment to music as both an art form and a force for change is unparalleled, and his work continues to inspire listeners to find courage in self-expression and liberation in creativity.

Peter Gabriel is in our lives for a reason—an artist who, from Car to So, has shown us how to redefine boundaries and continually challenge expectations. His music remains a refuge and a revolution, inviting us to see the world and ourselves anew.

Peter Gabriel is in your life for a good reason. So many progressive music fans tuned in to early Genesis as they offered something more than the usual techno-electronic noise: Peter Gabriel’s charisma, shamanic crowd ownership, disciplined histrionics, and overall band artistic leadership. Imagine Genesis without Gabriel, and you have a very polished musical enterprise with excellent bass and Phil Collins’s incredible percussion and vocals. Genesis with Gabriel was so much more. The images featured throughout this article are of Wilshire and Surrey, UK. Today, he makes his home in Wiltshire, England, where he maintains a commercial recording studio and a record label, Real World Records. Peter was born in Chobham, England.

Paul

Solid State Logic BiG SiX Super Analogue Mixer + USB Interface

Advanced hybrid production BiG SiX combines production tools from iconic SSL studio consoles with the latest in hybrid workflow.

Overview

BiG SiX is the natural evolution of the modern-day studio classic, SiX. Incorporating fee,dback from a wide range of artist, producers and engineers, BiG SiX increases its capacity in almost all areas with four SuperAnalogueTM mic pres, four SuperAnalogueTM stereo inputs with dual mono switching, three band E-Series EQ on every channel, dual i,ndependent headphone outs with source matrix and much more. Whether you’re wanting to take your content creation or post-production to the next level with SSL analogue processing or an require advanced hybrid workflow for multitrack recording or stem mixing, BiG SiX offers absolute flexibility and creative agility for any production scenario.

BiG SiX is designed to enhance your production capabilities at any stage of the process. From the SSL console grade faders to the advanced monitoring section and 18 channels of analogue summing at mix-down, the meticulously selected feature-set found on BiG SiX brings almost limitless creative options and engineering authority from large-format SSL consoles to your desk-top

Bus Compressor

Strapped across the mix bus of BiG SiX is the legendary G Series Bus Compressor, ready to add drive, energy and that all important ‘finished’ sound to your productions.

Using exactly the same circuit topology as the original design found on the SL 4000 G-Series console, the Bus Compressor within BiG SiX has fixed 4:1 ratio, 30 ms attack and 100 ms release. These ‘set and forget’ settings are the go-to for many SSL large format console users, who will often engage the Bus Compressor very early in a session and build the mix into it.

The BiG SiX Bus Compressor features the renowned ‘Auto’ release setting, adding further flexibility to this essential version of the legendary glue and punch maker.

USB interface

BiG SiX contains a class compliant USB 96 kHz / 24-bit interface to connect to a PC or MAC. The interface is paired with 16 high quality A/D and D/A converters that are connected to the SuperAnalogue^TM signal chain in BiG SiX. The first 12 channels are split across the first 12 inputs/outputs and can be switched pre/post fader. USB channels 13-16 route to/from External inputs and Master buses. Alternatively, sends 9/10 and 11/12 can be fed from the stereo cue buses. Perfect for additional ITB processing.

Pre-amp’s

Fast, detailed and very, very punchy. BiG SiX’s SuperAnalogue^TM preamps are capable of comfortably handling a wide variety of microphones (including ribbon) thanks to their super wide gain range. They feature a dedicated line input with Hi-Z, 48V, high pass filter and polarity switch, and will get the absolute best out of your new and vintage instruments and line level sources.

Channel compressor

Smooth, refine and add character with classic SSL channel compression. The compressors program dependent attack time (8ms – 30ms), release time around 300ms and the gentle 2:1 ratio allow the compressor to work across a wide variety of content and makes up one of the three compression flavours BiG SiX offers.

3 band SSL EQ

The channel EQ on BiG SiX has its roots in SSL’s classic E series, matching its EQ curves on the broadest setting. It is a broad stroke three-band design with high and low shelving filters at 3.5 kHz and 60 Hz, adjustable from +15 dB to -15 dB of gain and a fixed Mid Frequency control at 700 Hz. The HF and LF bands can be independently switched between shelving and bell curves, and can be found on every channel of BiG SiX.

Key features

Four SuperAnalogue^TM Mic / line / Hi-Z / 48V / HPF and polarity switch
Four SuperAnalogue^TM stereo line level inputs with dual mono switching
Built in 16 channel 96 Khz / 24-bit USB interface with advanced routing
Essential version of G-Comp Bus Compressor with ‘Auto’ release
3 Band SSL LF/MF/HF EQ on every channel
Classic SSL channel dynamics processing
Listen Mic Compressor
Dual independent headphone outputs with source matrix
100 mm console grade faders
Professional metering
Comprehensive monitoring section
Two stereo cue feeds
Bus B / Mute switching
Two fully balanced stereo external inputs
Up to 18 inputs at mixdown
Mix Bus inject for cascading additional SiX/BiG SiX

Things You Will Get:

BiG SiX Console
IEC power cord
External Power Supply with multi-pin connector
1.5 m USB-C to USB A cable
1.5 m USB-C to USB-C cable
Safety Guide
Quickstart Guide
Registration card

Peter Gabriel’s 2025 Keyboard Setup:

Current Live Configuration (i/o Tour 2023-2025): Peter Gabriel and keyboardist Don-E both use wireless MIDI keyboards during performances Peter Gabriel’s ‘i/o The Tour’ is All About the Dynamics | FOH | Front of House Magazine. The setup includes a compact SSL SiX console specifically for mixing Gabriel’s keyboards onstage Peter Gabriel Supports New I/O Album with European and North American Tour Dates, Using Three Solid State Logic Live Consoles – Solid State Logic.

Key Personnel: Don-E joined the touring band after Brian Eno recommended him, originally for the track “Road to Joy.” Gabriel noted that Don-E “grew up in a sort of gospel household where you just had to play all the instruments, sing, percussion, all sorts” Peter Gabriel on the i/o tour: Q&A : At The Barrier.

Technical Specifications:

Wireless MIDI keyboards for both Gabriel and Don-E
SSL SiX mixing console dedicated to keyboard mixing
Three SSL Live consoles total for the tour setup
128 channels of MADI recording for every performance

Historic Context: Gabriel has a long history with pioneering keyboard technology. His past setup included:

Fairlight CMI (first owner in the UK)
Sequential Prophet 5 (his “old warhorse”)
Yamaha CP70/CP80
Emulator and various samplers

Kate Bush – Here Comes The Flood with Peter Gabriel (1979) Xmas TV Special

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Kate Bush
“Kate”
Xmas TV Special
BBC TV Studios
Birmingham
The U.K.
1979-10

Kate Bush Sensual World

Peter Gabriel in NYC winter after leaving Genesis to begin his solo career

Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush – Don’t Give Up (Version 2) (1986)

Music

SONG

Don’t Give Up

ARTIST

Peter Gabriel

ALBUM

So

WRITERS

Peter Gabriel

LICENSES

itspetergabriel (on behalf of Real World Records); BMI – Broadcast Music Inc., UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA – UBEM, LatinAutor – PeerMusic, Global Music Rights LLC, Warner Chappell, SOLAR Music Rights Management, UMPG Publishing, ООО С.Б.А. Мьюзик Паблишинг/S.B.A.Music Publishing LTD, Abramus Digital, LatinAutorPerf, CMRRA, LatinAutor – SonyATV, and 12 Music Rights Societies

G#2 – B4 (2.3 octaves)

Song with the LOWEST pitch:
The Book of Love (G#2-D#4)
Song with the HIGHEST pitch:
Here Comes the Flood (C#3-B4

Peter Gabriel – Four Kinds of Horses (Bright-Side Mix)

Four Kinds of Horses is the fifth song to be released from Peter Gabriel’s forthcoming album i/o. This is the Bright-Side Mix by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent. Released on the full moon, 5 May 2023.

Written by Peter Gabriel and produced by Peter Gabriel and Richard Russell, Four Kinds of Horses was recorded at Real World Studios in Wiltshire, The Beehive, and Copper House in London.

“Four Kinds of Horses ” began on Richard Russell’s project ‘Everything Is Recorded’. He’s a friend (and founder of XL Records) and asked me to pop into his studio. I came up with chords, melodies, and words on top of a groove he was working on. We tried a few things that didn’t work, so it laid dormant for quite a while. Then I started playing around with it again and changed the mood and groove, and something else emerged with a better chorus.”

Several things triggered ideas for the song as it developed, including the Buddhist parable of the Four Kinds of Horses, which describes different ways a student can approach their spiritual practice. There is also a focus on “the interesting overlap of religion and peace on the one hand and violence and terrorism on the other. There was also a wonderful film by Hany Abu-Assad called ‘Paradise Now, ’ which shows two young men who end up being trained to become terrorists, and it’s a real insight into where the head goes.”

As well as Russell, who set things in motion, Four Kinds of Horses also features Brian Eno on synths, which “sounded like electric worms to me,” says Gabriel. “As soon as I heard one, I thought they would make a great three-dimensional wallpaper of sound and asked Brian to create eleven more.” John Metcalfe again provides string arrangements, “beautiful work and as the song progresses, the strings play a key role,” and backing vocals from Peter’s daughter Melanie, “another lovely moment for a dad.”

Continuing the theme of working with a different artist for each song release, this month’s track is accompanied by a cover image featuring the work of Cornelia Parker.

This month we have a fascinating artist, Cornelia Parker, who does extraordinary work. When we were originally looking at the Art from Us project, I’d seen some of her stuff with exploding rooms and had been fascinated by that, so I’m really happy that she agreed to work with us on this. The photogravure technique of William Henry Fox Talbot was an inspiration for her in this piece and some of the other glass-based images in the series. I fell in love with this particular work – it’s called ‘Snap.’

Just like the previous full moon releases, Four Kinds of Horses will come with differing mix approaches from Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Bright-Side Mix), here, plus Tchad Blake (Dark-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff’s Atmos mix (In-Side Mix).

As well as new music, Peter Gabriel is about to embark on a tour with dates in the UK, Europe, and North America on sale now. livenation.com / petergabriel.com

Further details on the release plans for the full album will follow.

Cornelia Parker: https://www.instagram.com/corneliapar…
Cover image: Snap by Cornelia Parker

Peter Gabriel – Full Moon June 2023

Peter Gabriel’s Full Moon Club update for June 2023, where he discusses the release of Road to Joy, the sixth track to be taken from the forthcoming album i/o.

Listen to the full track Road to Joy from Sunday, 4 June: https://lnk.to/PG21.

Written by Peter Gabriel and produced by Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno, Road to Joy features the Soweto Gospel Choir, a string arrangement from John Metcalfe, and contributions from several of Gabriel’s current touring bands; long-time collaborators Tony Levin (bass), David Rhodes (guitar) and Manu Katché (drums) as well as two newer members Don E (bass keys), ‘he did the funkiest bass line that you can imagine’ and Josh Shpak (trumpet), ‘beautiful playing, a super musical guy.’ The song was recorded at Real World Studios, Bath, The Beehive and British Grove, London, and High Seas Studios, South Africa.

‘I’m working on a project which is partly a story focused around the brain and how we perceive things, and this song connects to that. It deals with near-death experiences and locked-in syndrome situations where people cannot communicate or move. It’s an amazingly frustrating condition. There have been some great books and films about this subject, but at this point in our story, the people looking after our hero manage to find a way to wake him up. So, it’s a lyric about coming back into your senses, back to life, back into the world.’

The song is one of the last tracks to emerge for the i/o record, but it has some DNA from an earlier project; ‘It was very late in the record that we got to this. There had been a song that musically I’d started, I think, around the OVO project called Pukka. It was very different from this, but it was the starting point for returning to this song. I just felt there was a good groove there, and I wanted something else with rhythm, so we tried a few things while working with Brian Eno. The excitement and energy in the song were something that I was getting off on. I felt we didn’t have enough of that for this record.’

As with previous full moon releases, Road to Joy comes with an artist of the month, and for this June release, that artist is Ai Weiwei and his work ‘Middle Finger in Pink’.

‘I’m a big fan of Ai Weiwei, both as an artist, designer, and human rights campaigner. He’s incredibly brave and regularly risks the wrath of the Chinese government. But his work is exceptional, often political, and quite extraordinary.
When I was hustling him, I think he had no idea who I was, so it was an uphill battle at first, but he was open to talking, and we got to know each other and hung out a little bit.
I was delighted when he agreed to participate in the i/o project and generously sent us three designs. He has this middle finger image that he uses a lot in his work, and it is often directed to those in power.
He’s been at the root end of power, as his father was before him. So that’s an important symbol for him, and I guess in the context of the story I am now working on, death is the dominant power, and the hero is coming back to life and raising his finger to death.’

Like the previous full moon releases, Road to Joy will come with differing mix approaches from Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (Bright-Side Mix), released on 4 June. Tchad Blake’s (Dark-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff’s Atmos mix (In-Side Mix) were released later in the month.

Peter Gabriel riding bicycle on round stage 2006

Peter Gabriel – Solsbury Hill

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PG & Co. playing a funny Solsbury Hill!

Music in this video

Song

Solsbury Hill

Artist

Peter Gabriel

Album

Peter Gabriel (1)

Writers

Peter Gabriel

Licensed to YouTube by

WMG, itspetergabriel (on behalf of Real World Records); LatinAutorPerf, CMRRA, BMI – Broadcast Music Inc., SOLAR Music Rights Management, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA – UBEM, LatinAutor – SonyATV, Sony ATV Publishing, and 7 Music Rights Societies

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Cheddar, England, United Kingdom Published on August 18, 2017 DJI, FC220 Free to use under the Unsplash License Taken in Cheddar Gorge, England - August 2017.

Peter Gabriel – San Jacinto – Live in Athens 1987

Peter Gabriel – Live in Athens: 1987
Music in this video
Song
PETER GABRIEL (THE STORY OF GROWING UP FILM)
Licensed to YouTube by
LatinAutor – SonyATV, LatinAutorPerf, EMI Music Publishing, UNIAO BRASILEIRA DE EDITORAS DE MUSICA – UBEM, SOLAR Music Rights Management, and 3 Music Rights Societies

Peter Gabriel – San Jacinto (Secret World Live HD)

Taken from the Secret World Live concert film, which captures Peter Gabriel’s extraordinary 1993 live show – conceived by Peter and Robert Lepage – it was filmed across two nights (16 & 17 November) at the Palasport Nuovo in Modena, Italy. Stream/download the concert here: http://smarturl.it/pgsecretworldlive The Secret World Live tour itself was in support of Peter’s sixth solo album, US. The concert has been digitally restored and remastered from the original 16mm film stock and the audio remixed and remastered in Stereo, Dolby 5:1, and DTS Soundtracks. Buy DVD / Bluray now – http://petergabriel.com/release/secre… # http://petergabriel.com #Live #DVD