Cult Swedish progressive rockers Beardfish began playing their first live shows together this year since breaking up in 2016, and now they are very pleased to announce the release of a brand new studio album titled ‘Songs For Beating Hearts’ on the 1st November 2024 (InsideOutMusic). Coinciding with this announcement is the launch of a brand new single titled ‘In The Autumn’, a piece of music that some may recognise from their recent live dates. This song is a duet between Rikard Sjöblom & guest vocalist Amanda Örtenhag. Watch the video now here:
“I think the reunion became an idea in 2021, a few years ago,” explains Rikard Sjöblom. “We started talking about doing something. People had made amends, and I guess everyone started missing being in a band together, and missing each other! We all kept in touch, and things ended up on the right foot in many aspects, and then we started talking about maybe meeting up and trying to play something. I had a couple of new songs written, and they really sounded like Beardfish, and I had some instrumental doodles that I was working on. So we met up and tried to play. The first thing we played was Without Saying Anything from Mammoth, and we started jamming and it felt like home, even after many years. I felt like, ‘These are my brothers!’
With strong echoes of past glories but a whole new vibe of wistful wonderment, Songs For Beating Hearts is a glowing testament to the magic that happens when these four musicians join forces. From the dreamy melancholy of the opening Ecotone and the intricate opulence of five-part sprawl Out In The Open, to the prog-friendly pastoralism of bittersweet 11-minute epic Beating Hearts, and the sobering prog-noir of the closing Torrential Downpour, Beardfish have not just made their strongest work to date, but also their most emotionally resonant. Loosely held together by thoughts of love, loss, friendship and finality, Songs For Beating Hearts is the sound of four kindred spirits laying their hearts bare.
‘Songs For Beating Hearts’ will be available as a Limited CD Digipak (including one bonus track), Gatefold LP & as Digital Album, all featuring artwork from longtime collaborator Spencer Keala Bowden, and can be pre-ordered now here:
Beardfish originally formed back in 2001, and today are made up of Rikard Sjöblom, David Zackrisson, Magnus Östgren and Robert Hansen. They released eight studios albums up until their disbandment in 2016 The band are confirmed for 2025’s edition of Cruise To The Edge.
London label Transmission have announced a new edition of Porcupine Tree’s Grammy-nominated 2007 album Fear Of A Blank Planet. With a 112-page hardback book, five CDs, and a Blu-ray disc, the new edition includes remasters of Fear Of A Blank Planet and the Nil Recurring mini album, approximately 55 minutes of previously unreleased demos, an early live performance of a still work-in-progress version of the album, as well as BBC and instore session recordings – the most complete collection of the album and related material to date.
The set consists of:
112-Page Hardback Book: The centrepiece of this collection is a 112-page book, with an in-depth examination of the process of creating the album by Stephen Humphries with interviews, alongside rare photographs from photographers Lasse Hoile & Carl Glover.
Disc 1 (CD): 2024 remaster of Fear Of A Blank Planet.
Disc 2 (CD): 2024 remaster of Nil Recurring EP.
Disc 3 (CD): Approx 55 minutes of previously unreleased demos by both band and Steven Wilson, offering a rare insight into the creative process for the album, including 2 tracks not recorded for the final album.
Disc 4 (CD): A live recording of a work-in-progress version of the album made at The Garage, Saarbrucken on 23rd September 2006, while the band were still refining and developing the material. This has been mixed from the multitrack tapes for the first time for this edition.
Disc 5 (CD): A 5 track BBC radio session (Maida Vale Studios, 13th April 2007) plus an 8-song acoustic / unplugged in-store performance from Park Avenue, Orlando (4th October 2007).
Disc 6 (Blu-ray): Includes remastered stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes of Fear Of A Blank Planet and Nil Recurring, as well as a new 2024 documentary – ‘The Making of Fear Of A Blank Planet’. Also features 3 music videos, 3 songs performed live on film at The Palladium, Koln (4th December 2007) and 2 live visual films (‘Sleep Together’ and ‘Anesthetize’).
“an aggressively modern merger of Rush’s arena art rock, U.K. prog classicism —especially Pink Floyd and King Crimson — and the post-grunge vengeance of Tool”
Rolling Stone
Originally released in 2007, Fear Of A Blank Planet is Porcupine Tree’s ninth studio album and both band and fans alike consider it to be a high point in their catalogue. Their biggest selling album at the time, it was the band’s first album to break into the Billboard Top 100 in the USA as well as charting significantly across Europe, earning them a Grammy nomination in the process. The album includes guest appearances from Robert Fripp (King Crimson) & Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson and featured in Rolling Stone Magazine’s Greatest Prog Albums Of All Time as well as being named Classic Rock’s Album of the Year in 2007.
A concept album inspired by the Bret Easton Ellis novel Lunar Park, Fear Of A Blank Planet’s lyrics address how the adolescent protagonist battles his terminal boredom and attention-deficit disorders with a regimen of prescription drugs, TV, computer gaming, mindless violence, empty sex, and self-harm.
Following the release of Fear Of A Blank Planet in 2007, Porcupine Tree solidified their reputation as one of the rock’s most celebrated bands with their 2009 release The Incident garnering critical acclaim and earning the band another Grammy nomination. After a significant hiatus while members moved on to other projects, 2022’s highly anticipated return with Closure/Continuation demonstrated the band’s unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of their sound.
FEAR OF A BLANK PLANET DELUXE TRACKLISTING
DISC 1
1. Fear Of A Blank Planet (2024 Remaster) [07:28]
2. My Ashes (2024 Remaster) [05:09]
3. Anesthetize (2024 Remaster) [17:52]
4. Sentimental (2024 Remaster) [05:26]
5. Way Out Of Here (2024 Remaster) [07:37]
6. Sleep Together (2024 Remaster) [07:28]
DISC 2
1. Nil Recurring (2024 Remaster) [06:15]
2. Normal (2024 Remaster) [07:08]
3. Cheating The Polygraph (2024 Remaster) [07:10]
4. What Happens Now? (2024 Remaster) [08:24]
5. Fear Of A Blank Planet (Tour Live intro) [02:02]
DISC 3
1.Fear Of A Blank Planet (Demo) [07:01]
2. My Ashes (Demo) [05:09]
3. Anesthetize (Demo) [16:49]
4. Sentimental (Demo) [05:03]
5. Cheating The Polygraph (Demo) [07:07]
6. Sleep Together (Demo) [07:26]
7. Always Recurring (Demo) [03:49]
8. Hey Sleeper (Demo) [03:36]
DISC 4
1. Fear Of A Blank Planet (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [09:05]
2. My Ashes (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [05:44]
3. Anesthetize (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [17:12]
4. Sentimental (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [05:07]
5. Cheating The Polygraph (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [06:58]
6. Sleep Together (Live at Garage, Saarbrucken, 23 September 2006) [08:11]
UK progressive rockers Frost* are pleased to announce the release of their brand new double concept album ‘Life In The Wires’, due out 18th October 2024 via InsideOutMusic. “Every prog band worth their salt really should do a double album, shouldn’t they?” asks Frost* frontman Jem Godfrey. “We’ve always kind of had this idea of wanting to do one. So I sat down last summer and thought, well, I’m just gonna have to get my head down and go for it.”
Today also sees the launch of the first track taken from the album, the first part of the album’s epic title track. Watch the video for ‘Life In The Wires, Part 1’, created by Christian Rios/Ray of Light Films, here:
“It’s actually a continuation from Day and Age” explains Godfrey, “the first track on the new album starts with the end of the last track from that album “Repeat to Fade,” where the static comes up and a voice says “Can you hear me?”. I remember putting that in when we did Day and Age as a possible little hook for the future; a character somewhere out there in Day and Age land trying to be heard. What does he want to say? Can anybody hear him? Day and Age kind of sets up the world that this character lives in and Life In The Wires tells his story”.
The story revolves around the main character Naio, an aimless kid heading for a meaningless future in an A.I. run world. He hears an old DJ talking on the ancient AM radio his mother once gave him and decides to trace the source of the signal and find “Livewire” to see if there’s a better future out there. However, the All Seeing Eye is less than impressed at this bid for independent thought and fights back. Soon Naio finds himself pursued across the country by an outraged mob as he tries to locate the home of Livewire and his freedom. Tune in at www.lifeinthewires.com and see if you can hear Livewire on the radio.
Helping create this parallel world are the “classic” Frost* lineup of guitarist John Mitchell, bassist Nathan King, and returning drummer Craig Blundell.
Fans of the band’s masterful debut album Milliontown (2006) will enjoy the band revisiting the style that made that debut album one of the most successful prog rock albums of the last 20 years, a fact that was not lost on Godfrey as he was writing this new record.
“With Day and Age, we made it a very specific point: we’re not doing any solos, we’ll do clever arrangements. And we enjoyed that discipline, but this time I thought it might be good to row back on that position a bit. Plus, I wanted to have a little bit of a nod to Milliontown with this album, because it’s been nearly 20 years since Milliontown came out and I’m still proud of it. The 15-minute title track has a few of those Milliontown moments in it which were great fun to do again.”
‘Life In The Wires’ will be available as a Limited 2CD, Gatefold 180g 2LP & as Digital Album, with subtle difference across the 3 formats for added interest. The album features artwork design by Carl Glover, who also designed the cover of ‘Day And Age’. The full track listing is as follows:
In August and September 2023, Norwegian rock quintet Dim Gray undertook their first extensive tour of the UK and Europe, playing 15 dates across nine countries with Big Big Train. The band recorded each show and have picked out a selection of songs and performances that will form a live digital EP to be released in the autumn.
The EP will contain live versions of songs from both Dim Gray albums to date, as well as their recent single, ‘Murals’. Each performance was recorded by front of house engineer Rob Aubrey at shows in England, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Norway and mixed by him to create a document that captures the band’s live sound in authentic fashion.
The second track to be issued from it is ‘Ashes’, the original version of which can be found on the band’s second album, ‘Firmament’ (2022). Drummer Tom Ian Klungland states that “with ‘Ashes’, I feel we really showed that we could evolve and expand our sound yet still sound like Dim Gray.”
This live version of the song was recorded at a hometown show in Oslo on 29th August 2023. Vocalist/keyboardist Oskar Holldorff explains: “‘Ashes’ is a dramatic piece that relies more on electronic sounds than many of our other songs, so we had to approach playing it live a little differently.” Guitarist Milad Amouzegar adds: “I think we managed to do the song justice live. We played it a few more times on this tour, but the energy on stage in Oslo was amazing. I don’t think it sounded any better than on that night.”
Dim Gray was formed in Oslo by the original core trio of Oskar Holldorff (keyboards, vocals), Håkon Høiberg (guitar, vocals) and Tom Ian Klungland (drums), issuing debut album ‘Flown’ in 2020 to rave reviews. Subsequently signing to English Electric Recordings, they released ‘Firmament’ in 2022 to similar acclaim. The group have promoted both records in both the UK and mainland Europe via guest slots with Marillion as well as Big Big Train. Milad Amouzegar (guitar, keyboards) and Kristian Kvaksrud (bass) joined as permanent group members in 2023.
‘Ashes’ follows the late June release of ‘The Wave We Thought We’d Ride Forever’
EchoVerse is a Progressive Rock band that seamlessly blends Christian spirituality with elements of Prog, Hard Rock, and even Classical music. Set to release their debut album Whispers Between Worlds on August 20th, 2024, the band navigates complex themes of faith and the human experience through a series of powerful tracks.
The band are pleased to share the new video for “Not Like The Others,” directed by Christian Rios, here:
The band had this to say about the new single: “‘Not Like The Others’ confronts the hypocrisy within modern churches, highlighting the emptiness of outward displays of faith without genuine love, and challenges us all to embrace true compassion and humility in our journies with God. The track is also a straight-ahead rocker with some 7/4 riffs to help maintain our Prog cred. :)”
EchoVerse has also launched a Kickstarter campaign to support the album’s release, featuring an 8-panel Digipak CD, two limited Vinyl options, a Kickstarter-exclusive T-Shirt, and much more.
Drawing inspiration from bands like Spock’s Beard, Rush, Marillion, and Dream Theater, EchoVerse builds on the foundation of their former group, Ascher, with a new lineup and a fresh creative vision.
Whispers Between Worlds opens with “Not Like the Other,” which addresses outward hypocrisy in modern churches, and quickly moves into “Sins of the Father,” exploring the enduring impact of generational sin on today’s society. “Feelings of Grey” then offers a contemplative look at mental health, emphasizing the comforting role of faith during dark times. The narrative of hope and resurrection unfolds in “Empty,” which narrates the story of The Passion from the Empty Room to the Empty Tomb. Reaching a narrative crescendo, “The War Within” presents a 31-minute epic, divided into nine sections, that explores the battles between man and evil, both internally and externally. The album concludes with “Walk Alone,” which poses profound questions about the choices we make and the paths we choose to follow.
Track Listing
1. Not Like the Other (5:44)
2. Sins of the Father (6:45)
3. Feelings of Grey (6:42)
4. Empty (5:23)
5. The War Within (Total Time 30:54)
I. I Walk Away (5:17)
II. Something Sinister This Way Comes (1:51)
III. The Devil in My Ear (2:35)
IV. Push Back (3:20)
V. Now (3:57)
VI. Final Conflict (6:05)
VII. Back Where I Belong (3:51) VIII. I Know It’s You (2:52)
IX. The War Within (1:06)
6. Walk Alone (6:17)
EchoVerse: Kyle Graves: Lead Vocals Doug Bowers: Vocals, Keys, Bass, Guitar Rob Perez: Lead Guitar Kyle Fagala: Drums, Vocals
“It was a strange inheritance, unexpected, an oak chest bound with iron straps come into my possession, from a relative of whom I knew nothing…
Nick’s seventh progressive rock album takes us on a cinematic voyage; a swashbuckling tale of love, loss and revenge. An unexpected bequest reveals the story of a young woman whose misplaced love condemns her to the grim streets of 18th century London. She is deported, travelling across the high seas to the New World where imperialism and injustice rule, and an island paradise that is not what it seems.
Watch the video for Bloody Money, featuring John Greenwood and Tony Patterson:
Composer, keyboard player and producer Nick Magnus is best known for his work with ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett from 1978 to 1989, providing his keyboard talents to at least twelve of Hackett’s albums to date, as well as extensively touring Europe, the UK and the US.
Nick started his musical career in early 1976 with the cult symphonic rock ensemble, The Enid. At the end of that year, he left The Enid to spend two years with the progressive rock band, Autumn. In 1999 Autumn released a CD of their material originally recorded in 1977 entitled ‘Oceanworld’, subsequently re-issued in 2019 on vinyl. He has released six solo albums of his own compositions: ‘On Till Morning’ (1994), ‘Inhaling Green’ (1999), Hexameron’ (2004), ‘Children Of Another God’ (2010), ‘N’monix’ (2014) and ‘Catharsis’ (2019). A live album with John Hackett was released in March 2011.
The latter half of the 1980’s included session work with many diverse artistes such as China Crisis, Renaissance, George Martin, Mungo Jerry, Carl Wayne (The Move), Johhny Mars, Cilla Black, Jose Carreras, Brian May (Queen), Richie Havens, Bonnie Tyler, Mike Batt, Classix Nouveaux, David Essex, Pete Bardens (Camel), Duncan Browne, Chris Rea, and Colin Blunstone.
Nick’s skills as keyboardist, producer and writer are frequently in demand, with recent contributions for artists such as United Progressive Fraternity, Amanda Lehmann, John Hackett, Dik Cadbury, Damanek, The Rocking Horse Club, Tony Patterson & Brendan Eyre and the ‘Harmony For Elephants’ project. Nick is also a regular contributor to music technology magazine, Sound On Sound.
A Strange Inheritance is packaged in a 6-panel gatefold digi sleeve, with a 24-page full-colour booklet of photographs and lyrics.
All music composed and arranged by Nick Magnus, all lyrics by Dick Foster.
Nick Magnus – keyboards, synthesisers, percussion, tongue drum, production.
Album Tracks:
An Almost Silent Witness 10.07
Blood Money 4.45
Philadelphia 5.16
At Sea at Night 5.54
Four Winds 8.14
Welcome To The Island 5.19
Black and Scarlet 5.22
To Whom it May Concern 5.36
Total Running Time: 50.45
Guest Artists (bios on website)
Tony Patterson, Andy Neve, John Greenwood, Louise Young, Ginger Bennett and Steve Hackett
The sublime second single from Tim Bowness’s forthcoming Kscope label release Powder Dry is out today. The track, titled ‘When Summer Comes’, is a shimmering fusion of treated pianos, Mellotron flutes and bittersweet vocals. A quietly haunting soundtrack for a film that never was, the piece presents a potent mix of classic croon and blissed-out atmospherics.
Bowness says, “There’s a yearning, nostalgic quality to the song, I think. It’s about someone trying to convince themself that meaningful change will come, while instinctively knowing they’ll end up making the same mistakes again. It’s a cinematic ballad with hints of personal favourites such as late ’60s Scott Walker and Beehive-era David Sylvian. Inevitably, there’s some no-man (and a lot of me) in the mix as well.”
Mixed by Bowness’s partner in no-man, Steven Wilson, the evocative, abstract video for the song was created by Matt Vickerstaff.
WATCH THE NEW VIDEO BY MATT VICKERSTAFF
“This is the best and most creative of all of Tim’s albums.” – Steven Wilson
Featuring 16 pieces over its restless 40-minute duration, Tim Bowness’s eighth studio album Powder Dry represents a new beginning on a new label.
A collection of acute contrasts, the album is a vibrantly accessible and wildly experimental genre-blurring assault, embracing Industrial Rock, Electro Pop, singer-songwriter directness, haunted carnival soundscapes and more.
Entirely produced, performed and written by Bowness (a first), Powder Dry was mixed (in stereo and Surround Sound) by Bowness’s partner in no-man (and The Album Years podcast), Steven Wilson, who also acted as Bowness’s sounding board during the mixing process.
Pre-orders will open through Bandcamp on 05/07/24.
‘An Explosion Of Nothing’ is Jon’s fourth full-length album. It’s 46 minutes (ten tracks) of eclectic music, and his first major release since his ‘Emergency Call EP’ in 2019. It includes the singles ‘Conjure Something’ and ‘Penultimate’ (to be released 05/07/24).
Jon’s music has been played on Tom Robinson’s prime-time BBC6 Music show, and also by Gideon Coe on the same channel. His 2015 ‘Morning Sun’ compilation (featuring songs from his first three albums) had overwhelmingly positive reviews including ‘Classic Rock’ and ‘Prog’ magazines.
Programmed as a musical and lyrical journey, the album has a sound and feel which is obviously rooted in the 21st century, but with a spirit that hearkens back to some of the more ambitious albums of the past. Experimental, post and progressive rock flavours sit alongside industrial beats, yearning acoustic numbers, and quirky psychedelia. In one particular case all in the same song!
Says Jon: “I can’t stand using artists and bands as reference points, as a lot of my favourites have completely changed styles over the years. In terms of kindred albums to this one I’d probably have to mention the likes of ‘Jehovahkill’ by Julian Cope, ‘Hand. Cannot. Erase.’ by Steven Wilson and ‘Odludek’ by Jimi Goodwin (Doves) – if only in terms of musical variety and the album being a ‘journey’ that you can immerse yourself in.”
‘An Explosion Of Nothing’ will be released on Friday 9th August 2024 on all steaming services, plus CD in a digipak containing a 16 page lyric/artwork booklet for those that still prefer a physical product.
Track listing:
01 Bait & Switch 5:18
02 Conjure Something 4:52
03 Resonance 2:39
04 Lift To The Ritual 2:54
05 Dionysus Appears Close To The A36 5:39
06 Engaged/Living Life In Acres 7:10
07 So Much Mouth, So Little To Say 4:30
08 Strawberries & Milk (Engaged II) 3:26
09 Penultimate 5:17
10 Wonderful Life
Credits:
All words and music written by Jon Hunt.
Jon Hunt: Vocals, guitars (acoustic, electric, 12-string and bass), keyboards, samples &percussion.
Huw James (Carcrash Casino): Drums on tracks 1, 6 and 9.
Engineers: Jon Hunt, Sam Dyson, Simon Kitts, Tim Kramer, Jon Clayton, Dave Shalloe
Produced and mixed by Jon Hunt.
Mastered by Steve Kitch at Steve Kitch Mastering.
Discography:
2008: Truth & Bullshit
2011: Wanderlust
2013: So Much Promise
2015: Morning Sun (Compilation of tracks from first three albums)
New album Push Back The Horizon released 20th September 2024 (V2 Records
Lesoir, a five-piece band hailing from Maastricht, Netherlands, and formed in 2009, has quietly cultivated a global fan base and are now ready to step out of the shadows again for their 6th album ‘Push Back The Horizon’ to be released on September 20th 2024.
‘Push Back The Horizon’ includes 10 songs, composed by the bands guitarist Ingo Dassen, and lyrics and vocal lines written by singer and multi-instrumentalist Maartje Meessen.
The album is produced by John Cornfield, known for his work with Muse, Kashmir, Razorlight, Supergrass, Robert Plant, New Model Army & Ben Howard, among others. In addition, dedicated collaborated for the vocals with Paul Reeve, Matt Bellamy’s (Muse) vocal producer. The instrumentation was recorded at the Muziekgieterij, Maastricht. The vocals were recorded in Cornwall, UK. Mastering is done by Steve Kitch, keyboardist of The Pineapple Thief. String compositions and arrangements by Ingo Dassen, James Merryweather and Maartje Meessen. The album will be released on CD, LP (black), 2LP (Bloody Mary coloured with ‘Babel’ as bonus track) and digitally.
The album offers a snapshot of relatable stories, emphasizing life’s potential for both thoughtful moments and unexpected events that provide glimmers of hope. Centered on family and brotherhood, it transcends geographical boundaries, highlighting the power of collective action. Instead of dwelling on the past, the album encourages a forward-looking perspective, urging a collective effort to try again for a better outcome. On new single ‘What Do You Want From Me?’ the band state,
“In an increasingly hardened political and social climate, a government is increasingly diametrically opposed to its citizens. From that perspective, discontent predominates, and that feeling is reinforced when poverty grows and social securities decline. ‘What do you want from me?’ is about feelings of powerlessness and injustice, which unfortunately more and more people relate to.”
The video is produced by Crystal Spotlight, known for their work with Steven Wilson & many others. Watch it now –
Lesoir has always had a professional DIY mentality, for the last 4 years Lesoir built a team around them with Glassville Music as their management and bookings agent worldwide. This gives the band the opportunity to focus on their marketing and performance. The band has been completely self-supporting on social media, partly produces its own videos, has a permanent in-house crew, its own mixing desk, IEM, microphone, backline, transport and is equipped to play a show anywhere. For years, the band has been proactive in getting the story of & behind the band across the stage online and offline.
In 2019, the band toured for 5 weeks with prog legends Riverside. After the tour, the band made a real splash within the scene and the subsequent self-released album, with the help of Glassville Records, called ‘Mosaic’ was met with high praise and landed on several annual charts.
The band had about 20 headline shows lined up when the pandemic broke out. When touring was temporarily no longer an option, the band used its time to release the 20-minute-and-20-second epic ‘Babel’ on a ltd handmade etched vinyl. The 250 pieces were independently released and sold out within four weeks.
‘Push Back The Horizon’ is poised for a global release by V2 Records, renowned for their collaborations with Skunk Anansie, Mumford And Sons, Moby, Kaiser Chiefs and Ane Brun.
Legendary Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess is pleased to announce his brand new solo album ‘Permission To Fly’ will be released on the 6th September 2024 via InsideOutMusic. No stranger to experimentation, known for leading the charge in pushing creative, sonic, and technological boundaries, his latest endeavour, epitomizes this ethos, delving into the complexities of human existence within our multifaceted world.
As Jordan Rudess explains, “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.”
To mark the announcement, he has launched the epic new track ‘The Alchemist’, with a video by Wayne Joyner. Watch the video now here:
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’ will be available as Limited CD Digipak & Gatefold 180g 2LP (both incl. bonus material), as well as digitally. Pre-order now here:
Jordan recently made his live debut with Darby Todd & That Joe Payne, with two rapturously received sets on the 2024 edition of Cruise To The Edge, also marking the live premiere of the new single ‘Embers’.
More information on Jordan Rudess:
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, Jordan initiated his studies at the illustrious Juilliard School of Music at the age of 9, 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 an indelible 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, Jordan 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 apps, including GeoShred, MorphWiz, SampleWiz, Vythm, Polywave, Jam with Jordan and SampleWiz 2. GeoShred, Wizdom Music’s latest triumph, was a collaborative effort with moForte, founding members of Stanford University’s Sondius team. Rudess is currently working on an AI interactive project as Visiting Artist at MIT’s Media Lab in the Responsive Environments group.
