Kaskade

Grammy-nominated electronic producer Kaskade rose to prominence as one of the leading American progressive house DJs during the 2000s, establishing Las Vegas residencies as a viable model and filling arenas nationwide. His bright, uplifting dance anthems kept him a consistent fixture on the U.S. dance charts through the following decade, yielding multiple Top Ten albums highlighted by the number-one entries Fire & Ice (2011) and Atmosphere (2013). The 2014 compilation I Remember gathered highlights from his Ultra period; he subsequently extended his agreement with the imprint and delivered Automatic (2015). In the latter half of the 2010s, Raddon began assembling his individual tracks into a sequence of projects collectively titled Redux. Fire & Ice v3 surfaced in 2022, coinciding with the launch of his collaborative endeavor with Deadmau5 under the name Kx5.

Born Ryan Gary Raddon in Chicago, he initially balanced DJ work with roles as an A&R director and record-store proprietor. During the late ’90s he immersed himself in the evolving electronic landscape, ultimately gravitating toward house as his preferred style. He performed in New York and Salt Lake City, issuing early productions on his independent imprint Mechanized Records. He also licensed material to John Elkins, then A&R director at OM Records, who later brought Raddon onto the label’s staff. While spinning at clubs after hours, Kaskade spent daytime hours advancing the careers of numerous acts, among them Ming + FS and the soul-house outfit Soulstice.

His first album-length statements as Kaskade arrived with the house-oriented It’s You, It’s Me in 2003. A more organic, soul-inflected approach shaped the follow-up In the Moment the next year, and he maintained visibility through contributions to the San Francisco Sessions DJ series and the label anthology House of OM. Demonstrating continued focus on studio craft, he issued Love Mysterious in 2006, which registered on Billboard’s electronic albums chart. That same year he left OM for Ultra.

Strobelight Seduction, released in 2008 and featuring production input from Deadmau5, marked his strongest commercial showing yet, propelled by the single “Move for Me.” Dynasty appeared in 2010, underscoring his elevated status through an array of vocal collaborations and a joint production credit with Tiësto; the set also became his first LP to enter the Billboard 200. The same year Raddon curated Electric Daisy Carnival, a mix spotlighting performers from the festival’s debut edition.

The two-disc Fire & Ice arrived in 2011 and entered the Billboard Top 20. Skrillex supplied production on “Lick It,” while Neon Trees and Skylar Grey contributed vocals. Atmosphere followed two years later, favoring a gentler, more laid-back palette and incorporating Kaskade’s own singing. After I Remember collected Ultra-era highlights in 2014, he reaffirmed his partnership with the label and issued Automatic the subsequent year. That album included appearances from Estelle, Galantis, John Dahlbäck, and K. Flay, reaching number two on the Billboard Electronic chart. In 2016 Kaskade teamed with Deadmau5 and Skylar Grey for the single “Beneath Me.” The next year he released the Redux EP 002, featuring LoKii, Mr. Tape, and Late Night Alumni, alongside the seasonal set Kaskade Christmas. He paired with Charlotte Lawrence for the 2018 track “Cold as Stone.” Redux 003 emerged in 2019 as a continuous mix incorporating Felix Cartal, Gorgon City, and additional artists. Further singles throughout 2020 were accompanied by the Redux 004 EP. Early 2021 brought the single “Closer,” followed by Reset and Redux EP 005. Fire & Ice v3, revisiting earlier material, appeared in 2022. Kx5’s debut single with Deadmau5, “Escape,” preceded additional releases such as “Take Me High,” “Alive,” and the Sofi Tukker collaboration “Sacrifice,” while Kaskade issued standalone tracks with L’Tric and Sydney Streb (“Birds of Paradise”) as well as Justus (“Dance with Me”).