Puerto Rican prog guitarist Jan Rivera will release his new album, Existential Paranoia, on October 14, but you can listen to the whole thing right here, right now, for free...
Existential Paranoia sees Rivera working with Aristocrats/O.R.k. drummer Marco Minnemann and bass guitar virtuoso Mohini Dey (Jordan Rudess, Jordan Richardson, AR Rahman) as well as Nili Brosh, an Israeli/American guitarist who herself has worked with The Aristocrats as well as Danny Elfman, and a host of luminaries Rivera name checks below.
"I couldn’t be happier to share my music with you through this Prog Magazine exclusive," says Rivera. "Writing and recording this album has meant the world to me. Being an independent musician, I’ve had a hand in everything from recording to the graphic design. This means that you get to see the intended vision in everything from the music to the visuals.
"Thank YOU for listening and being a part of the art. Thank you Prog. Thank you to all of the amazing musicians: Marco Minnemann, Mohini Dey, Jordan Rudess, Nili Brosh, Chad Wackerman, Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Juan Antonio, Chris Clark, Eli Marcus, Mark Hartsuch, and TJ Helmerich. Finally, I’d like to thank my wife Jary who cannot be more involved with bringing this album to life. I appreciate you more than you will ever know."
Rivera is a graduate of the revered Musicians Institute's Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles, where he studied under Alex Machacek, Greg Howe, and Scott Henderson, among others. Rivera is also well-regarded in as a music educator, who's 2014 textbook Advanced Rhythmic Concepts For Guitar is a bestseller, and received rave reviews globally.
"The 'world that could be' is visible in the album’s artwork," says Rivera. "You can see that the colours outside of the door are monotone, while inside the door everything is full of colour. This represents 'what could be'.
"The surreal elements you see within the city represent the dreams and creative parts that capture our imaginations and propel us to seek something more, something meaningful. This is something that I deeply identify with, as it also mirrors my own struggles with finding my voice as a musician.”
You can view the album artwork, tracklisting and collaborators below.
Pre-order Existential Paranoia.
Jan Rivera: Existential Paranoia
1: Fractional Lineage
Mohini Dey (bass), Marco Minnemann (drums)
2: Existential Paranoia
Jordan Rudess (keys), Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann, Juan Antonio (guitar)
3: Homenaje
Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann
4: Can’t Fight Who You Are
Jordan Rudess, Mohini Dey, Marco Minneman
5: Things That Don’t Fit
Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann
6: My Friend The [Synic]
Chris Clark (keys), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Marco Minnemann
7: Morse Code For Hope
Gary Husband (keys), Jimmy Johnson, Marco Minnemann
8: The Encounter
Nili Brosh (guitar), Eli Marcus (bass), Marco Minnemann
9: Not Here, Not There; Not Anywhere
Eli Marcus, Marco Minnemann
10: The Grey Sticky Note
Chris Clark, Mohini Dey, Marco Minnemann, Chad Wackerman (drums), Mark Hartsuch (saxophone)
