The Beat Goes On: Arjan Interviews Kaskade

August 27, 2007

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Kaskade (aka Ryan Raddon) is one of the very few club DJs who is able to successfully capture a smooth and subtle soul vibe in his music. Instead of cooking up some plain beats and beeps like many of his peers do, Kaskade infuses his productions with dancefloor-ready, melodic hooks that give them a poppy edge. The DJ/producer/songwriter returns this month with a brand-new remix record titled "Bring The Night." It is a compilation of his favorite remixes including his chart-topping remix of Nelly Furtado's "All Good Things." The disc follows his 2006 artist album "Love Mysterious."

Kaskade grew up in Chicago where he first got into dance music listening to Frankie Knuckles spin at Club Medusas. After moving to Salt Lake City, he funded his studies at the University of Utah by starting his own record store and DJing at a local radio station. After he moved to San Fransisco, he landed a gig as A&R Manager for indie dance label OM Records, which was the perfect opportunity for Raddon to get his own demos heard. Under his Kaskade moniker, he released his first album "It's You It's Me" in 2003 and his breakthrough effort "In The Moment" in 2004. Time to sit down with Kaskade and quiz him about his latest effort.

Why did you decide to do a remix compilation?
When I do an artist album, people get 12 or 13 tracks that I wrote and produced. This album was a great opportunity for me to show the DJ side of me. I find that in the DJ world sometimes the music gets a bit lost. People like to hear the music in the mix. So I approached the label and I said I want to do a mix CD because I'm getting so many requests from people for certain remixes.

How did you select the tracks?
When I'm doing a mix CD, I like to send out emails to friends of mine who are producers and ask them for their upfront music. I also look in my DJ bag to see what I'm playing in the clubs. In the studio, I figure out what tracks fit together. I just think about what I would want to hear in the car, in the bedroom or when I'm getting ready to go out. In the end, it really represents what does well for me in the club.

What is it about your style that appeals to people you think?
It's interesting. People that go out like to hear dance and electronic music but they also like to hear music that is recognizable; older songs that have been mashed up or hits that have been remixed. So that's what I always include in my sets. When I'm on the road, I play a lot of my own music almost to the point that it seems self-serving, but I find that if I don't do that people get upset. They also want to hear my own tracks.

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