On September 1, 2015 a press release announced that Kansas had signed with Inside Out Music, a German label dedicated to progressive rock and related genres, for the release of their upcoming 15th studio album. The release of this album marked the longest period to date between studio releases since the previous album, "Somewhere to Elsewhere", had been released over 15 years prior, in 2000. On February 26, 2016 the group officially announced "The Prelude Implicit" for a September 2016 release. The album's co-producer and co-writer, Zak Rizvi, was subsequently named as a full member of the band, giving Kansas a second full-time guitarist for the first time since Steve Morse's departure in 1991.