"Panopticom" is a song by English musician Peter Gabriel, released in January 2023 as the first single in promotion of his tenth studio album I/O, his first album of original material since 2002's Up. Two versions of the song have been released: the "Bright Side Mix" (mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent) on 6 January 2023, and the "Dark Side Mix" (mixed by Tchad Blake) on 21 January. The cover (for both versions) features David Spriggs' Red Gravity as the cover art.[3] The single was released on the first full moon of the year.
Additional tracks from the album were also released on full moons and received both "bright side" and "dark side" mixes by Stent and Blake, respectively.[4]
"The first song is based on an idea I have been working on to initiate the creation of an infinitely expandable accessible data globe: the Panopticom. We are beginning to connect a like-minded group of people who might be able to bring this to life, to allow the world to see itself better and understand more of what’s really going on."[5]
The cover artwork features Red GravitybyDavid Spriggs, who created the piece in 2021 with acrylic paint on layered plexiglass with dimensions of 84 × 61 × 20 cm. Gabriel commented that the artwork reflected "Panopticom's" lyrical themes of surveillance, which prompted him to reach out to Spriggs for permission to use Red Gravity for the cover art. The artwork was also used as a backdrop for performances of "Panopticom" during Gabriel's i/o tour.[3][7]
