Right now, art-rock overlord Peter Gabriel is getting ready to head out on tour and to release i/o, his first new original album in 21 years. Gabriel still hasn’t announced the details of the LP’s release, but he’s been sharing new songs, one at a time. We’ve already posted his singles “Panopticon,” “The Court,” “Playing For Time,” and “i/o.” Today, he’s got another one.
Peter Gabriel recorded “Four Kinds Of Horses,” his latest single, with XL Recordings boss Richard Russell, and it was originally intended for Russell’s Everything Is Recorded project. Gabriel wrote the song, and he co-produced it with Russell. Over contemplative digital crunches, Gabriel sings about the intersection of religion and violence. Here’s what he says about it:
“Four Kinds of Horses” actually began on Richard Russell’s project Everything Is Recorded. He’s a friend (and founder of XL Records), and he asked me to pop into his studio. I came up with some chords, melodies, and words on top of a groove he was working on. We tried a few things that didn’t altogether work, and so it laid dormant for quite a while. Then I started playing around with it again and changed the mood and the groove, and something else began to emerge with a better chorus.
Gabriel talks more about “Four Kinds Of Horses” in a new video that he’s shared from his tour rehearsals. In the clip, Gabriel mostly just talks about the song, and we get to hear him deliver the phrase “trip-hop vibe.” You can also see bits and pieces of his live show coming together. Below, listen to “Four Kinds Of Horses” and check out Gabriel’s tour-rehearsal video.
