As an icon and pioneer in the world of electronic dance music, Kaskade has some fascinating stories and insights from his three decades in the music industry.
Just ahead of his headlining set at Nashville’s Deep Tropics festival, we caught up with the electronic music superstar, real name Ryan Raddon, for an interview about the current state of the dance music scene. He’s humbly eating Sour Patch Kids in his trailer as we sit down to chat.
Raddon has long been at the forefront of live performance, a reputation that reached new heights in February following his historic performance as the first DJ at a Super Bowl game. With so much experience under his belt, we were curious to get his thoughts on what makes a great music festival.
“There are a lot of good festivals and only a few great ones,” he tells us. “I think the venue is a big factor, as is the location and the atmosphere. I mean, that's half the battle. If you're sitting downtown and you have the skyline, like Lollapalooza Chicago, every image you see from there makes you think, 'This is crazy!' That's coming. That's why you need top-notch production and a great location.”
When traveling to festivals and shows, the chart-topping producer says he always seeks out local food to get a taste of the city's authentic culture. One thing only his tour manager knows about him is that there are certain hotels he simply can't stand while traveling. Kaskade's tour manager laughs in agreement off-camera.
When it comes to music, Raddon says he was once kicked out of venues for playing his tunes too loud. Now, performing at major festivals and high-profile DJ residencies in Las Vegas, he doesn't have to worry too much about volume.
“I've had a lot of noise complaints over the years,” Raddon says. “I've had to move out before, been kicked out of apartments and studios.”
But that wasn't the craziest thing that happened.
“At university, I was hosting a huge party,” he recalls. “There were so many people that it was on the second floor, and the floor cracked… the ceiling was about to collapse.”
c/o Press
Once Kaskade's career began to take off, he says he didn't go on a shopping spree or any big spending sprees, although he did buy “a nice car.” He does, however, vividly remember the moment he got his first big payday from music.
“I remember putting the two checks on the kitchen counter and taking a picture of them,” she says. “I was like, 'Oh my God, I'm actually making money off of this!' When I did one of my biggest deals in Vegas, I signed the lease shortly after for my studio in Los Angeles, in Santa Monica. It was a big deal because it was a big purchase and it's not something I'm particularly fond of, but it's been amazing. I've been there for seven years now and I love it.”
We were also curious to know what Kaskade would be doing if he hadn't pursued his DJ career.
“If I wasn't performing every weekend, I'd be writing and producing music for other people, which I did a little bit before my career took off,” he explains. “I'd still be doing something music-related.”
Kaskade's “Redux” set at Deep Tropics was undoubtedly the highlight of Deep Tropics' first day. The dazzling Nashville festival took place on August 16 and 17. You can learn more here.
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