Interview by: Alonso Marcucci, www.dreamtheater.com.ve

On March 24th, 2010, during Dream Theater's third visit to Venezuela I had the opportunity to interview Jordan Rudess. He was gracious enough to grant me some time, even though he was feeling a bit sick. After acquainting ourselves, we sat down for a chat. Here's what came out.

AM: I must say, there was a time not too long ago when the thought of seeing Dream Theater live in Venezuela was a far-fetched possibility and now here you guys are for the third time. How does it feel to be back here?

JR: Well, this is a good Dream Theater place because the fans are very enthusiastic, it's always very exciting so I'm happy to continue coming here.

AM: What about your visit with Rod Morgenstein in 2006, did you enjoy it?

JR: Yeah, it was awesome, hopefully we can do that again some day.

AM: Are planning to just tour or to write some more music with him?

JR: Well, we keep threatening to do another album together, we have a bunch of music, some really good stuff that's kind of on hold, waiting. So one of these days, we were talking about of getting it done in this next break that I have with Dream Theater, we'd like to see it through. And nowadays, actually, what's interesting is that you know, people are starting to have a different mentality about music, it's not so much that you have to release an album of a certain length, because you know, the music world has changed with digital downloading that you can just go and maybe download a couple a songs so the reality of that is that I might take the path of just finishing a few things with what Rod and I were doing and put them online for sale, even if it's not a full CD or an hour's worth of music

AM: You have a habit of going out and getting to know the cities you play in. Have you seen any of Caracas this time around?

No, I just telling Rikk, it's not like Europe or at least doesn't feel that way to me. I don't know where to begin. I look out the window and there's like a highway there, you know. I don't get the feeling that it is friendly to pedestrians, it's sad because I get this closed-in feeling at the hotel and I really like when I can just walk into the city, but it's either not possible of doesn't feel quite right to me.

AM: With every tour, Dream Theater have been reaching more and more markets, how do you feel about the current tour? And what would you say have been some of the highlights so far?

JR: The South American run has been AMAZING. It's so interesting to come to South America because you know, Dream Theater has a lot of places where we're very popular, but South America as a whole is definitely one of those places, where the energy is very vibrant, it's really happening here, it's almost like... I keep thinking it's something in the water people are drinking that’s making them tap in 5/8 time, you know, something that's different. It's especially different than the United States musically, with what's accepted, what's enjoyed, because it seems like music that's not commercial or production-oriented it's a lot more enjoyed here. It's pretty cool, I think that you just have open minds when listening to different kinds of things, they want to maybe be challenged on a musical level.

AM: Each time around, you guys have new arrangements for some songs and some jams in others. Which songs have you enjoyed playing live on this tour? And what's your favorite from the new album to play?

JR: One of the songs that we're doing a big jam in is "Solitary Shell" that's opened up kind of in the middle to a nice section where it's very free and that's been a lot of fun. It's always nice to be able to improvise a little bit in the shows and not just play exactly what the part is. Songs like "The Count of Tuscany" where the middle section is a mellow part with just keyboards and guitar , we play it a little bit differently every night. It's a place where I'm bringing in different textures and the sounds evolve and change and I go by feel more than by 'this is how it goes'. A lot of Dream Theater's music is certainly more like 'Ok, you have to play the way it does', it's not like you're improvising but there are times where we open it up.

AM: For the first time in the band's career, you wrote and recorded a song for an outside project, the God of War III video game. Were any of you familiar with the franchise? Did it help guide the direction the song took?

JR: I started to familiarize myself a little bit with what it was all about, did some basic research of the energy and the visual look of it. I was talking to Mike Portnoy one day, the drummer, and I said 'We need to find out some details about what's wanted, what the game is..' and he said 'You know what? They're hiring us to be who we are, to make a Dream Theater track. It's obviously going to be aggressive and metal-ish kind of track. We don't want to try to change ourselves to whatever that is. The reason they're coming for us is they want a Dream Theater track, so just going to write a tune'. So knowing it was God of War it had to be kind of intense

AM: The given was that it had to be heavy

JR: Yeah, that’s right, and we knew that. So Mike was like 'We don't need to do any major research or have any guidance from the company'. It's not that kind of thing, we're just going to go in and rock... and rock we did.

AM: Is that track going to be featured in the game itself or just as an accompanying EP?

JR: I don't know, I think it was going to be released as a separate thing. It's already out and available but I don't know if you buy the game if it's also on that disc. I'm not a game player like that so I don't know.

AM: You've always been an advocate of new technologies and have recently started using the iPhone as part of your rig. What are some of the songs you've been able to use it in, live and in the studio?

JR: Actually, I used it recently on the God of War track. I played a solo; in the solo section there's a guitar solo, then a keyboard solo and then an iPhone solo. It's done with a program called Bebot and actually you know, I've been so involved with the iPhone platform as a musical instrument that I've since started my own company to release apps and I have one that's coming out, I think it's going to be called "MorphPad" which is the next one I'll be able to play for soloing and that kind of thing.

AM: Were you approached by someone to do this?

JR: Over the last year or two I've been working with some of the companies that do this, that do apps, getting involved and started making suggestions and then I realized in making all these contacts that what I would like is the next level, to have my own company, with my name on it, that releases my own apps. So I met a couple of programmer guys and we're doing it ourselves.

AM: Are you planning on using the iPad in a similar way?

JR: Yes, definitely. I already have one on order.

AM: Mike Portnoy recently announced that you're going back to the "Evening with" format on the next tour. Are you prepared for that? Which of the two formats do you enjoy more?

JR: No yet, but I'm sure we will be.

AM: Do you enjoy playing that long?

JR: Yeah, it's nice. I don't know how long we'll play but the couple of times where we did like a 4 hour mammoth experience, that to me, is too much for everybody... too much for me and the band, too much sound for the audience you know, but "An Evening with" will be great, the fans will love it.

AM: I read somewhere you were involved in a concert with an iPhone orchestra. Can you shed some more light on that? How did that come about? And how will you approach it?

JR: Oh wow, you guys are really staying up with things. Well, I was invited to perform with the Stanford University, what they call a MoPhO Orchestra.

AM: MoPhO?

JR: Yeah, Mobile phone (laughs) Not MoPhO like in a rap context. It's a questionable name, right?

AM: Yeah

So, that's on April 29th that I'm going up to California and do a little concert with them. We're still figuring out the details.
.
AM: Do you plan on doing original music? Or taking some from your catalog?

JR: It's gonna be music that's based around the iPhone apps that they program. The assignment for the class is that they all have to come up with their own iPhone apps, original apps. And then they use those in the concert. so it'll be a kind of spacey, sonic event, not like your typical music, we'll do some stuff that's really outside the box, cool, and different.

AM: Cool. Talk to us a little bit about your new toys. First, the Harpejii.

JR: The Harpejji is a string instrument, it's now a synthesizer. It's kind of an acoustic instrument if you will, with some electronics built into it. The way you make sound is you tap on the strings very much like a Chapman Stick, and it has 24 strings, the model I have right now. We're thinking of a smaller model as well, maybe for touring, but the one I have right now has 24 strings and I'm getting a custom model made which will look very much like what I want it to look like. It's pretty fun just wrapping my head around it and learning how to play it.

AM: Did you use that in the God of War track?

JR: Yeah, I used it there as well.

AM: And what about the Eigenharp?

JR: Yeah, that's a very high tech, brand new instrument that just came out. It's got super advanced key switches on it, has two ribbons that can be assignable to any control, it's got a breath pipe on it which you can assign that to different things so again, a very exciting instrument. I have some videos online, you can go to YouTube and search for "Rudess Eigenharp" and you can kind see me playing around with it. One of the cool things about it is the kind of switches on there are very friendly to my fingers, with all the years of piano technique. It's kinda like I'm flying, you know? It's cool

AM: Do you think it has a place in DT's music?

JR: I think I can certainly find a place and do something cool. The sounds are whatever sound I choose, synthesizer sounds.

AM: Dream Theater's fanbase has grown considerably over the past few years and one of the reasons must be your exposure through Rock Band 2. Have you considered releasing more music through those outlets?

JR: That's definitely something my manager is always looking at to keep the band alive and vibrant. The game thing is great publicity for us for sure, because the kids play games, that's mostly what kids do, so it's important to us to be in on that. And I think it's also a financially a good thing to do. I'm thankful that Dream Theater have found a place in that world and probably everybody knows that we're the hardest song you know? That's kinda where we're at. It gets people talking 'If you can do the Dream Theater one, you're really good at it...'

AM: Yeah, I can't do it myself

JR: Me neither, I can't do it, no way.

AM: You're Dream Theater's third keyboardist now, and have been in the band longer than any of the previous two. What have been some of the experiences you've had with previous members? Have you been in touch with Kevin Moore or Derek Sherinian?

JR: I've never met Kevin Moore, although I've heard his name several times because Mike has had some involvement with him in another project and Derek I've met, I don't really keep in touch with him but the vibes are good.

AM: What are some of your favorite pieces of music from each of them, Moore and Sherinian? From Dream Theater's catalog I mean.

JR: Well, I like a lot of the Falling into Infinity music. I don't know, when I think about those songs… "Hollow Years" is really nice and just lets me breathe. "Lines in the Sand" is also cool. I like it. I think they're both really good players and I know Kevin had more to do with the writing in Dream Theater than Derek did and certainly more to do with the foundation of the group, you know, when the group was being born and the style was coming together, a lot of that was coming from Kevin and I appreciate his musicality and what he did then and even what he does now, because he's kinda like me. He's interested in sounds and moving forward and experimenting. I guess the difference is that I enjoy my gig with Dream Theater, it's the main thing in my life but I also feel it gives me the freedom to explore other things and allows people to get a glimpse of the other things that I do. So in other words, I don't have to leave Dream Theater to go on and do other kinds of music and make it all work.

AM: Do you know if Dream Theater has any plans to re-release some of your previous DVDs in Blu-Ray format?

JR: The ones that are out you mean? I don't know, that's a good question. I'll ask Mike (laughs).

AM: Are you looking forward to opening for Iron Maiden? How do you feel being the only keyboardist on the bill?

JR: That's a good point, I hadn't thought of it that way. I'm looking forward to it because for us it's a great opportunity to play for some many people in North America, because that's not one of our strongest areas but this is a way to reach out and play really big places and have some fun. We only play 50 min a night, so it's going to be "easy". So get the treat of playing for a lot of people in really huge places, not such a long set, doing this great promotion. I'm excited about it, I think it's really good. The only thing that right now I'm trying to deal with is that my keyboard tech, his name is Robert Dorian, is leaving and I gotta find somebody new.

AM: What about some of your previous techs?

JR: Well, I have an idea who's coming with me, but we're finalizing.

AM: What about your opening band for today, Bigelf? Have you enjoyed touring with them? Do you enjoy their music?

JR: Yeah, it's good. I'm not a tremendous fan of them but the guys are great and they're doing very well and their music is cool. It's something that reminds me of Black Sabbath meets Uriah Heep or Deep Purple, that kind of trippy rock music, with a little progressive mixed in.

AM: You guys also had Scale the Summit and Zappa plays Zappa open for you on previous legs. Did you enjoy their performances?

JR: Yes, totally. Scale the Summit are very talented, young people. I hope that their career moves forward well, and hopefully the Dream Theater tour helped that and The Zappa thing you know, Zappa's Zappa. His son is doing a great job of representing Frank's music, he's got an ace band, all top notch players, and it was fun to meet Dweezil.

AM: Are there any bands you would like to take out as an opening act?

JR: I saw a band last night, in the restaurant that we were recommended.

AM: Ah, C4 trio?

JR: Yeah, holy shit man. They had a "cuatro" was it? Those guys were from another planet (laughs). I could't believe what they were doing last night. I'm telling you, I'm not just saying that. My jaw was on the floor

AM: Maybe you can take a cuatro with you, and see how you can use it.

The cuatro? It seems like it's an instrument that doesn't necessarily have a lot of sound but in the hands of a master... I mean, those guys were terrific, all of them. A couple of the guys stood out in my mind just being godly on that instrument, I don't know their names but holy shit...

AM: What kind of music are you listening to these days?

JR: One of my favorite new artists, well, not new, but she's starting to really become known is Imogen Heap. I love her music, she's so great. She's got a great ear, very talented and nice energy. Of course I'm a Porcupine Tree fan. My taste in music is all over the map.

AM: This has been a very long tour for you guys, is there an end in sight?

JR: Yeah, we'll do the Iron Maiden tour and then we have a couple of shows in Japan in August and then we're done.

AM: And then we wait for the next album

JR: Exactly.

AM: Do you have a message for the Venezuelan fans?

JR: It's really great to be back here. It's gonna be fun to see everybody and feel that Venezuelan excitement again, I expect it to be in full force. We're gonna try to put on a really great show. I was talking to [the local promoters] about maybe coming back and doing some solo or duet things with this amazing young guitar player, named Daniel Yakuvavic.

AM: Oh, the guy from the recent Vokle chat?

JR: Yeah, that guy. He also has a couple of YouTube clips people can check out. I was telling them maybe we'll come back here and do a duo concert. It will be pretty cool. Are you gonna make the 12 hour trip for that?

AM: Yeah, definitely

JR: All right, very cool, thanks man.

AM: Thank you Jordan, I guess that's it

JR: Awesome, very nice interview, good questions, you did really well. See you at the show.

Thanks again to Jordan Rudess and the rest of Dream Theater for once again stopping by and we hope to see them again on the next tour.