Kaskade (aka Ryan Raddon) has never been afraid to let his own artistry evolve.
Over the years, he has consistently remained as one of the more influential artists in the scene.
In 2001, Kaskade released “What I Say” as his first single. This soothing track is a far jump from the songs released a few years later, such as “Stars Align”. Even more distinguishable from that first single are his tracks released in the last few years, like “4 AM” and “Never Sleep Alone”.
His lengthy discography is extremely varied, and his music is constantly evolving.
Whether that means dabbling in future house, singing on tracks himself, or reworking top 40 favorites, the result is always commendable. Fans never know exactly what is coming next, and that is why he continues to appeal to dance music enthusiasts.
Following that first official single, Kaskade’s steadier, mellow sound was still easy to hear in his next few releases.
With “It’s You, It’s Me” (2003), fans finally saw the more melodic, thoughtful side of Raddon’s music. There was more emotion in this song, and it was definitely a defining track in 2003. It is still a dance music classic.
While these earlier singles were more closely related in musical composition, the comfort zone could only last so long.
In 2006, Kaskade’s very unique track “Be Still” was born. Raddon’s notable success with melding graceful vocals and captivating melodies was solidified in his music-making playbook.
“Be Still” was one of the first tracks in which Kaskade engaged in genre-bending. This track has all of the hallmarks of a great progressive track, along with a mild indie house influence.
Each track displays Raddon’s capabilities, with him separating from other acts by way of his very distinguishable music.
In the next few years, hits like “Angel on My Shoulder” (2008), “Fire In Your New Shoes” (2010) and “Raining” (2010) would help grow his fan base.
These songs share confident vocal performances and undeniably catchy melodies, while each track still stands out individually as a progressive gem.
After a string of similarly powerful releases, Kaskade gained more mainstream appeal with his collaboration with another well-known group similar to Dragonette. He chose to rework a Neon Trees track called “Lessons In Love”.
While the original song is more pop-rock, it’s progressive house-inspired rework nonetheless stood out from similar dance music releases in 2012.
Over the next year, Raddon went on to headline many large-scale events, like Electric Daisy Carnival and Ultra Music Festival.
He also dropped Atmosphere (2013), a key album for his career. Even lesser known songs from the album proved to hold value, like “Feeling the Night”. This album showcased that a new era had begun for Raddon’s music.
He continued with the larger-than-life tracks into 2014, with his next release titled “A Little More”. This track unites ethereal vocals, the transcendent melodies of Kaskade’s brand of progressive house, and intense build-ups and beat drops, to form a timeless piece of music.
To continue making notable music after dropping such a massive track, Kaskade prepared to release his ninth studio album, Automatic (2015).
This album includes distinct tracks like “Disarm You”, “We Don’t Stop”, and “Phoenix”.
This album truly showcased his ability to capture many fans, whether they be avid dance music enthusiasts, or the sort of people who stick to top 40 favorites. The sound of this album was grander and more confident than many previous releases, to say the least.
While Automatic still enjoys widespread success now, in 2016, Raddon is already back at it. He recently released a redux version of Alicia Keys’ new song, “In Common”. The track is receiving a lot of love from fans.
The track itself is unique, but even more intriguing is how it came to be produced. Raddon took a request sent via Twitter from a fan, who suggested he make the remix.
It just goes to show that while Kaskade’s music has continued to grow and evolve, his ability to listen to his fans and make music that appeals to many has remained the same.
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