Ryan Raddon, better known by his stage name Kaskade, is an American DJ and record producer.
On October 20, 2011, DJ Magazine announced the results of their annual Top 100 DJ Poll,
with Ultra Records, Kaskade placed at No. 30. DJ Times polls voted Kaskade "America's Best
DJ 2011" and "America's Best DJ 2013". Along with producers deadmau5 and Wolfgang
Gartner, Kaskade became popular during the revival of American progressive house in late
2008-early 2009.
Biography Early life
Kaskade was born in Chicago. He grew up in nearby Northbrook and attended Glenbrook North
High School. He is the brother of Rich Raddon, an entrepreneur and film producer. He attended
Brigham Young University in Provo, UT from 1989 to 1990 working on his DJ skills in his
dorm room. At age 19, Raddon served a two-year full-time mission for The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan. Following his mission, in 1992, he moved to Salt Lake
City to attend the University of Utah. Musical career
Kaskade took his stage name from a nature book when he saw a picture of a waterfall
and a co-worker agreed "cascade" was a good choice, but he then changed the spelling.
Releasing his first single "What I Say" on the label in 2001. In the Moment saw Kaskade's
first top 10 single with "Steppin' Out" reaching No. 5 on Billboard Magazine's Hot Dance Club
Play chart and No. 6 on Dance Radio Airplay. The fourth single to be released from the
album, "Everything," reached No. 1 on Billboard Magazine's Hot Dance Club Play.
Kaskade's fourth solo album Love Mysterious was released in September 2006. The first
single from the album, "Be Still", reached No. 4 on Billboard Magazine's Hot Dance Club
Play. The single features vocalist Sunsun, and includes remixes by Jay-J and Robbie Rivera.
Follow up single "Stars Align" hit number No. 8 on "Billboard Magazine" Hot Dance Airplay
chart and just missed the top ten, No. 11, on the Hot Dance Club Play chart. His fourth
single released from "Love Mysterious", "Sorry", was his third consecutive top ten hit on Billboard's
Hot Dance Airplay Chart, at No. 9. Dirty South provided a remix for "Sorry". The remix
was nominated for a 2008 Grammy for Best Remixed Recording.
In late 2006, Kaskade left OM Records and signed with Ultra Records.
Kaskade worked with Canadian house/electronic DJ/artist deadmau5 to produce tracks on Strobelite
Seduction, including the first single Move for Me. The single became his fifth top ten
hit on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay Chart, reaching the number one position in its September
6, 2008 issue. It also gave Kaskade his first number one single on this chart. The dance
single has become a crossover hit, managing to reach number 71 on the Canadian Hot 100
as of February 14, 2009. "I Remember", another collaboration with deadmau5, became his first
UK hit, peaking inside the top 15 on the UK Singles Chart. The video-clip which accompanied
"I Remember" was filmed in Manchester, England. The single became his second chart topper
on the Billboard dance chart. The follow-up single, "Angel on My Shoulder" with Tamra
Keenan, also found success on the dance chart, placing at number 5 on Billboard's Hot Dance
Airplay Chart. His song "Step One Two" was the last single from the album, being released
late in 2008. In 2010, he added another number one Billboard
Hot Dance Airplay track to his credit with "Dynasty", featuring Haley Gibby on vocals.
In March 2012, Kaskade headlined at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, coming on
before Armin van Buuren Sunday night. In April 2012, Kaskade took to Indio, California
to headline opposite Radiohead two weekends at Coachella Valley Music Festival. In June
2012, the American House producer was one of the headlining acts at Electric Daisy Carnival
in Las Vegas, Nevada. That same month, he started the "Freaks of Nature" summer tour
in support of his released album Fire & Ice. In December 2013, Kaskade was nominated for
two Grammy Awards: the song "Atmosphere" for Best Dance Recording and the album Atmosphere
for Best Dance/Electronica Album. In 2014, Kaskade was listed as the No. 8 highest
paid DJ in the world according to Forbes, earning $17 million.
Other projects Kaskade is also an active member of Summer
Of Space, Late Night Alumni and The Sellars. Kaskade is one of 9 artists who participated
in thetruth.com's Remix Project, where he remixed the Sunny Side song "Smaller Babies".
On May 30, 2010 Kaskade became a resident DJ for daytime pool parties at the Encore
Beach Club in Las Vegas, NV. The parties were entitled "Kaskade Sundays."
Kaskade's song "I Remember" with deadmau5 is played on a level of GoldenEye 007 for
the Wii. "I Remember" and "Move For Me" were also featured in DJ Hero 2 and are credited
as being performed by deadmau5 & Kaskade Kaskade also produced Haley's album All This
Love released by Ultra Records. Personal life
After returning from his Mormon mission in Japan, Raddon transferred to The University
of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. There he met his wife, fellow snowboarder, Naomi. While
attending school, he ran a record store in Salt Lake City called Mechanized. In 1995,
he began D.J.-ing his first weekly Monday night party at a basement venue called Club
Manhattan. He used this additional income to purchase studio essentials.
Raddon had always aspired to move to New York, where he previously worked briefly as a Japanese
tour guide but Naomi wanted to return to the Bay area, where her family lived. In May 2000,
the couple moved to San Francisco. Raddon, got a job working as an A&R assistant to Chris
Smith at OM Records, a house and electronic label. To Raddon's benefit, San Francisco
was an emerging site of a new deep-house movement. While at OM records he continued DJing and
producing music. Soon after, Raddon created his alter ego, Kaskade. His wife worried that
it would remind people of dish detergent. Concentrating on his DJing skills, Kaskade
started to experiment and develop his own sound.
Throughout the years of his success, Ryan and Naomi have maintained their relationship.
Currently, they are married and together have three daughters.
Discography Albums
Singles and EPs "What I Say"
"Gonna Make It" "I Feel Like"
"It's You, It's Me" "True"
"Keep On" "Steppin' Out"
"Soundtrack to the Soul" "The Gift"
"To Do" "Sweet Love"
"Everything" "Safe"
"Be Still" "Stars Align"
"In This Life" "Sorry"
"Sometimes" For the DJ's
"4 AM" "Move for Me"
"I Remember" "Angel on My Shoulder"
"Step One Two" "So Far Away"
"Dynasty" "Fire in Your New Shoes"
"Don't Stop Dancing" "Raining"
"Only You" "All You"
"All That You Give" "Call Out"
"Eyes" "Turn It Down"
"Room for Happiness" "All You"
"Lick It" "Lessons in Love"
"Lessons in Love" "Llove"
"No One Knows Who We Are" "Atmosphere"
"Last Chance" "Ain't Gotta Lie"
Redux EP "Summer Nights"
Mixes Sounds of OM 3rd Edition
San Francisco Sessions: V4 House of OM
Bring the Night The OM Remixes
The Grand Kaskade presents Electric Daisy Carnival Volume
1 Kaskade - Essential Mix at BBC Radio 1
Kaskade LIVE from San Diego - It's You It's Me Redux
Atmosphere: Live at The Shrine Mashups
Remixes
Awards and nominations Grammy Awards
See also Om Records
List of number-one dance hits List of artists who reached number one on
the US Dance chart List of artists who reached number one on
the U.S. dance airplay chart References
External links Official website
Artist Site at Ultra Records Kaskade on EDM Lounge
Kaskade on Myspace