Out now, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess’ brand-new solo album, Permission To Fly, available from InsideOutMusic.
While some previous releases were true solo pursuits, this time, Rudess assembled a core group of musicians to support and elevate his vision. The album features Jordan alongside That Joe Payne on vocals, Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) on drums & Steve Dadaian on guitar, as well as guest guitar solos from Bastian Martinez.
With the music in capable hands, Rudess wanted to make sure to give the lyrics their proper attention. For that, he turned to a source close to home, his daughter.
“All the lyrics on the album were written by my daughter, Ariana. While I enjoy writing lyrics myself, my primary focus tends to be on the sonic quality of the words. For this album, I wanted to delve deeper and offer something that resonated on a more profound and cerebral level. Ari did an exceptional job.”
Permission To Fly is available as a limited CD digipak & gatefold 180g 2LP (both including bonus material), as well as digitally. Tracks featured are: ‘The Final Threshold’, ‘Into The Lair’, ‘Haunted Reverie’, ‘The Alchemist’, ‘Embers’, ‘Shadow of the Moon’, ‘Eternal’, ‘Footstep In The Snow’, ‘Dreamer’, and bonus tracks ‘Incarnation’ and ‘Chopin Fm’. The album can be ordered here.
Concurrent with this, Jordess has released an official video for ‘Embers’, filmed earlier in 2024 on Cruise To The Edge that you can check out here at RAMzine, as you can previous videos released in the lead-up to the album becoming available.
Previously, there was a single and video for ‘Shadow of the Moon’ – The video was produced in conjunction with Lightricks. They hosted a competition, inviting creators to submit unique music video concepts for Rudess’ song. The winning filmmaker, Manny Walker, was whisked away to a state-of-the-art set in Serbia, where he was given the opportunity to co-direct the video alongside the Lightricks team, bringing his vision to life.
Rudess said: “Creating the ‘Shadow of the Moon’ video with Lightricks was an incredible experience. Working with such a talented team and the contest winner, and using Lightricks’ new cutting-edge LTX studio software, brought my vision to life in ways I couldn’t have imagined. This collaboration truly showcases how powerful it is to combine music with innovative visual storytelling.”
You can check out the video created right here at RAMzine, alongside another where you can get a glimpse at the creative process and how it came together.
No stranger to experimentation, and known for leading the charge in pushing creative, sonic, and technological boundaries, his latest endeavor, epitomizes this ethos, delving into the complexities of human existence within our multifaceted world.
As Rudess explained, “The essence of the album is deeply informed by the tumultuous events of 2023-2024, with motifs of peace and anti-violence woven throughout many of the songs.”
There have been other video releases promoting the album. Epic ‘The Alchemist’ had a video made by Wayne Joyner and before that was a lyric video for ‘Embers’.
Renowned as the “Best keyboardist of all time” by Music Radar Magazine, Jordan Rudess stands out as the extraordinary keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist for the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning progressive rock band, Dream Theater. Embarking on his musical journey as a classical prodigy, he initiated his studies at the illustrious Juilliard School of Music at the age of nine, laying the foundation for a career marked by a distinctive fusion of classical and rock influences.
Beyond his role in Dream Theater and the power group, Liquid Tension Experiment, Jordan’s musical prowess has resonated across a diverse spectrum of collaborations. From Deep Purple and David Bowie to Steven Wilson and Jan Hammer, he has left his mark on the industry. Notable projects such as LMR (his side venture with Tony Levin and Marco Minneman), Steven Wilson’s Blackfield, guest appearances with Deep Purple and the Dixie Dregs and collaborations with artists like Enrique Iglesias, the Paul Winter Consort, Annie Haslam, and many others, underscore the breadth of his musical reach.
Venturing into the realm of cutting-edge technology, Rudess has emerged as a pioneer with a focus on state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps. As the owner of the highly successful iOS app development company, Wizdom Music, he has spearheaded the creation of award-winning applications and is currently working on an AI interactive project as Visiting Artist at MIT’s Media Lab in the Responsive Environments group.
Rudess recently made his live debut with Darby Todd and That Joe Payne, with two rapturously received sets on the 2024 edition of Cruise To The Edge, while also marking the live premiere of the single ‘Embers’.
