Biography

About Kaskade
kaskade

Ryan Raddon (born February 25, 1971), 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”.

Kaskade rose to prominence alongside producers deadmau5 and Wolfgang Gartner during the revival of American progressive house in late 2008-early 2009.

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 honing 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.

Upon signing with Ultra Records in late 2006, Kaskade left OM Records and now only releases with the former.

Kaskade worked with Canadian house/electronic DJ/artist deadmau5 to produce tracks on Strobelite Seduction, including the first single (released as an EP) 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 to a packed crowd. 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 embarked on his “Freaks of Nature” summer tour in support of his released album Fire & Ice.