Episode 52 - Kaskade

Ryan Raddon known as Kaskade to his millions of fans is a world renown Electronic Dance Music DJ and chart topping artist. In this episode of "Little Known Facts" he sits down with Ilana and discusses his life as a trailblazer in the house music world and describes the choices he has to make in order to balance his life as a family man and a devout Mormon and his life on the road ten months out of the year. From growing up in his close knit family in Chicago, the birthplace of House Music, to his international fame as one of the most successful DJ's in music history - this is a one of a kind  conversation where Ryan reveals things about himself he has not discussed in previous interviews. Multi GRAMMY Award-nominated singer, songwriter, producer and remixer Kaskade is a titan in the dance music world, and a groundbreaking innovator in the music industry as a whole. Bending the curve by which his contemporaries measure themselves, Kaskade has an unprecedented string of “firsts”. He was the first DJ to land a Las Vegas residency, the first ever solo electronic dance artist to sell-out both Navy Pier in Chicago, and the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and the first dance artist to perform and sell out at the Los Angeles Convention Center in its 45-year history with a career-defining solo headline date in front of 30,000 fans. A three-time Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival veteran, Kaskade made history in 2015 where he was the only electronic musician to headline the festival and drew the two largest crowds in its storied sixteen-year existence. Crowned by The New York Times as “the new face of electronic dance music,” Kaskade has been bridging the gap between old school music purists and a new generation of music lovers. Relentlessly touring the world and playing to tens of millions people around the globe, he has been in the trenches for over a decade, laying the groundwork for a titanic musical and cultural shift. With nine studio albums and five GRAMMY nominations to his name, Kaskade’s global reach is ever-expanding. He has headlined every major North American festival, and was recently inducted into Pete tong’s Hall of fame, and sold out London’s The Steelyard on his most recent UK date. His single “Fakin It” was first premiered in the UK when Kaskade went back to back with Danny Howard on his primetime “Dance Anthems” slot on BBC Radio 1. While Kaskade’s handwriting is all over the history of electronic music, his influence today is at an all-time high. His latest full length album, "Automatic" [Warner Bros. Records/Arkade] claimed the #2 spot on the Billboard Dance /Electronic Albums Chart. Automatic commanded a Top 15 placement on the U.S. Digital Chart, as well as amassing over 50 million streams on Spotify in less than a year’s time. His live set from Ultra Music Festival 2016 has garnered over 1.9 million views in a matter of months. (Watch here) Kaskade continues his reign in Las Vegas with an unprecedented mult-venue long term residency for Hakkasan Group, and his social media reach continues to connect him with his audience in an authentic and powerful way. Rolling Stone asserts, “Kaskade represents an intensely positive side of dance music culture”, another cornerstone in the foundation that sets him apart." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices