AS a veteran of the San Francisco House scene, over the past 10 years Kaskade aka Ryan Raddon has revolutionized the US electronic music industry- without sticking to anyone’s standards. Unlike in Europe and Australasia where electronic music has made its mainstream debut and maintained popular status on the charts, US electronic is headed by some of the most upfront DJs without major airplay and holds a massive underground following.
Listen to Kaskade feat. Deadmau5 - Move For Me
Historically Europeans have dominated the market although house music originated in Chicago, but the Europeans (Tiesto and Armin van Buuren) were able to repackage it and sell it to the masses. Raddon explains, “It’s a ‘cool kid’ thing in America. When I go to London it is so accessible”. Even though there is a thriving culture in the States there is a notable difference between their counterparts across the pond. “The Europeans kind of close the Americans out. I feel like there is a lot of back scratching going on over there. They aren’t so keen into helping us out- they would rather just stick to their own”.
Without favours from his European counterparts Raddon has released six albums and boasts more than twelve #1 positions on the US dance charts. Most recently, Move for Me off Strobelight Seduction (collaboration with Deadmau5) took the #1 spot and has been filling floors. It’s wasn’t destined to be a hit, as the collaboration was courtesy of the American Online Instant Messaging- not creating in a studio like pre-internet days. Through out the process of creating Move for Me and I Remember, the pair never met or even spoke on the phone. “It was a random and weird cyber buddy relationship. We met a month after the songs were done. I have never even heard his voice before”.
Alongside creating original material, Raddon has become the master of the pop song remix. In the past few months, he’s been asked to remix Britney Spears last three singles (Womanizer, Break the Ice and Gimme More) and worked with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and country star Leanne Rimes. To make thing even more diverse he has also been approached by Usher and P Daddy. “It’s a lot of fun. I don’t know where it will lead me but one day I would like to do some pop collaborations. It would be a lot of fun one day to sit in a room with Britney Spears or Justin Timberlake and work on something original”.
2009 will be a jam packed year of touring, but we won’t be held waiting to along for a new release. “I have a mix CD coming out in the US in April. It’s yet to be titled. The day I return from the US is the day I have to mix it and turn it in to the label”. Alongside the album, Raddon is working on focussing on his writing skills. “I have been writing for a lot of people. I just did some stuff with ATB and some more pop oriented people.”
Comments