In the clip below, Ola Strandberg talks with Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess about the new Boden JR Sorcerer Limited Edition and his ever-evolving guitar journey. Rudess reveals what inspired him to pick up the guitar, using the intrument as a compositional tool, guitar versus keyboard, and more.
Speaking with Brazil's 89FM A Rádio Rock, Rudess discussed the return of founding member Mike Portnoy in October 2023. The legendary drummer returned to the band after a 13 year absence.
Rudess on how the band has changed since Portnoy's return:
"It's definitely changed because he's a very strong musical personality and a strong personality in general, and so he has a lot of thoughts about things. He's a very conceptual thinker, and I think that as fine as we were just doing our own thing when he was gone, having him back, it's just like, wow, this is so great to have your mind and your spirit involved in it. It really does change things. So I think when people hear the new album that we're working on, they'll kind of see that and they'll feel that. I definitely think it's reconnecting with some of the spirit of the magic that we produced in the years that he was in the band."
"I think everybody grows, everybody changes and we bring what we learn into the mix. So, I think while we're revisiting and kind of enjoying this feeling of connecting with who we were, we're also different people, we've been through all these different experiences, so there's a lot of other things we all bring to the situation on every level, just musically, personally, everything."
Dream Theater recently announced their 40th Anniversary Tour 2024 - 2025. Remaining dates on the current European leg are as follows:
Novermber 20 - Stuttgart, Germany - Beethovensaal
21 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhundderthalle
23 - Paris, France - Adidas Arena
24 - Amsterdam - AFAS Live
Dream Theater has been in their DTHQ studio working on their 16th studio album and the first with Portnoy since 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings. More information on the upcoming release will be unveiled in the future.