Guaranteed, one of the first DJs to become a multi-media star will be Ryan Raddon as Kaskade. The triple-threat of DJ/artist/producer will see Raddon as one of the most marketable and media-friendly DJs on the scene. Hot off the release of Raddon’s latest mix album “House of Om”, ITM picks up from where was left off in November of 2004. Since the first article dealt with Raddon in more of a historical light, this article will deal with what has happened since.
It’s been fairly close to a year since we last heard from Raddon and so the interview kicks off with a look back on 2005 and how the dance music scene has changed or modified itself. Turns out that in Raddon’s opinion, there wasn’t much of a change at all. “I think electronic or dance music just kind of keeps chugging along,” Raddon says. “I don’t think I can specifically think of anything else. It seems like in 2004, everyone had written off house music and, in the States at least, Indie rock was the big thing. But house just keeps garnering more and more strength, despite the fact that the media keeps writing it off.” It’s as if the steadfastness of dance music is signaling some sort of warning sign that something big is about to happen. First dance music must prevail.
Then the conversation shifts to the last year’s impact on Raddon himself. “The period of time since we last spoke has been extremely intense for me,” Raddon explains. “I’ve been remixing a lot. I haven’t been doing a lot of original productions though. That’s not to say I’m not getting’ in the studio, cause I’m in there constantly. I just haven’t released anything. It took a while but I think people are finally starting to pay attention. It’s funny cause you think everyone has access to your music with the internet and all, but a label has just picked up “Steppin’ Out” for a re-release in the UK. It’s as if they’re hearing it for the first time two years after I released it in the States.”
Extremely surprising, considering this high level of instant global access we tend to pride ourselves on. Reconsidering though, once I step out of my office, how many people really have heard Kaskade? Let’s just keep re-releasing him ad infinitum.
“I saw that Collette’s album finally came out a while ago. How’d that go with working with her?” inquires ITM. “Collette’s one of my favorite people. We did a 15-20 city tour together earlier this year and had a great time. It’s such a pleasure working with her. Hopefully we’ll collaborate more in the future. It seems so long ago now that we worked on her album.”
Touring seems to be Raddon’s current activite de riqeur and so the issue is raised of whether or not Raddon’s finding time to make any music as well. “Like I said earlier, most of my free time is spent in the studio,” Raddon hastily informs so as not to seem unproductive (When one’s vision is set on the horizon, nothing is ever enough.). “I’m just stockpiling all sorts of ideas. Maybe once things wind down by early next year, I can start concentrating again on production. I’d like to focus on getting another artist album out by next year.”
The current output of Raddon sees the recent release of his mix compilation “House of Om”. Mix CDs limiting they are (that’s Yoda grammar), especially when it’s a label catalogue. It’s uncertain why this interviewer is so obsessed with freedom of the DJ and to be unrestrained from anything, whether it be stereotypes, expectations, styles, or target audiences and so the idea of a label mix was instantly harpooned as a Great Evil, greater than the evil rotting in Captain Ahab’s wooden leg (Call me Ismail.).
“It’s a lot of what I’m currently playing these days. It’s a snap shot of what I’m doing. It’s called “House of Om” but they licensed all the songs from other labels. So that wasn’t limiting, but mixes are always limiting because you only have 70 minutes to build with.” Turns out it wasn’t a label mix at all! ‘Saturday in the park, I wish it was the fourth of July!’ (It’s best to sing Chicago songs when happy. [the band, not the musical])
“I guess I didn’t really put too much thought into it,” Raddon goes on to explain. “I just grabbed a bunch of records out of my bag and in an evening threw this mix together. It wasn’t that easy, but you know what I’m saying.” Here a topic is raised that coincides with the first interview a year ago. The idea of intuition and simply just ‘doing it’ without prior meditation or thought. But it’s lost in the mix of the conversation.
“I get these guys coming up to me and sayin’ “I loved ‘In the Moment’, but this last album is so much better!” They don’t even resemble each other. I spent however many months and months on the artist album and then just whack out a mix CD and it’s better? I guess they’re both music, but they’re so different.” This is an issue which doesn’t necessarily rely on semantics. It’s more of a categorical issue. It’s all Kaskade. But it’s different manifestations of Kaskade.
Speaking of all the remixing Raddon’s been up to, there’s quite a few of them on “House of Om”. The mix kicks off with Raddon’s most successful. “The first track on the mix was a remix I did for David Morales and it sat at #1 in the Billboard charts for 2 weeks.” The song Raddon is talking about is ‘Here I Am’ by David Morales and features Tamra Keena on Ultra Records.
Next, the issue is discussed of what to do concerning Raddon’s current label. Without any disrespect or any ill-will, the idea is discussed of what it would take to hit a wider audience spectrum, especially with the amount of crossover “In the Moment” could have received. “Om is an indie niche label,” Raddon divulges. “They’ve done an amazing job of branding a sound which has ultimately become the sound of San Francisco. When I was first starting out and working with them, nobody knew of Kaskade, but because I was attached to Om, it gave me a platform of being noticeable. I don’t wanna brand myself at all, but I think in a lot of ways there’s a much wider audience that would be accepting of my music that Om can’t reach.” Sticky waters to traverse, especially when there’s no right answer. Only time will tell.
“So you’re in Denver tonight,” ITM quickly lightens the mood. “Where to from here?”
“I’m playing in Denver tonight and then it’s off to Miami and then Puerto Rico. At some point after that, it’s off to Australia for 5 days I think. On the east coast I’m playing these festivals called Parklife. I’m not sure where I’m playing in Perth.”
“It’s the same spot as last Christmas Eve.”
“In that wicked basement?”
“In the basement.”
“Cool. I like that spot.”
It would seem the world clock had appointed the interval between the two interviews a year apart, since Raddon had had a child just before the last interview. Turns out another child was just given birth to! “I just had a daughter named Sasha about 3 weeks ago. My wife and I think that she was conceived on New Year’s Eve in Australia when we were there last.” Can’t go wrong with Australian-made.
Kaskade plays dates in Australia this weekend:
Fri Sep 30th – Ambar, Perth (BUY TICKETS)
Sat Oct 1st – Parklife, Brisbane (BUY TICKETS)
Sun Oct 2nd – Parklife, Sydney (BUY TICKETS)
