Miami Living Magazine features the best Miami has to offer. Click on any magazine below and enjoy. You can download our free app on iTunes. Ideal for iPad and iPhone users.
Issue link: https://digital.miamilivingmagazine.com/i/19123
PEOPLE “GOOD VIBRATIONS” KASKADE RIDES HIGH ON THE HOUSE MUSIC WAVE Words by Vanessa Pascale • Photography by Mark Owens His sound is so smooth it emulates the cool water flowing from the beach club’s ornate shower poles, and seduces the bronzed, swimsuit-clad crowd into moving, jumping, and dancing to the bass-pumping beats. It’s like a sexy scene straight from a music video. At the helm of this extravagant Memorial Day Weekend pool party is world-renowned music producer / house DJ Kaskade — creating waves in a sea of rapturous guests. This epic performance occurred opening weekend of the Las Vegas Wynn’s latest addition, Encore Beach Club, a decadent 60,000 square foot pool area that also serves as their nightclub Surrender. To say the venue was packed would be an understatement. Patrons paid $200+ to attend, while cabanas, day beds, and lily pads went for thousands. One thing is for sure, Kaskade draws a crowd —who went wild as he played his 2-hour set. The globe-traversing DJ committed 15 weeks to Encore Beach Club as their resident DJ every Sunday from MDW weekend until Labor Day. During this time, he will continue to tour. “This summer I’ll do something like 60 shows. 5 or 6 shows in Ibiza, Spain, Portugal, London, Asia, Canada, US, South America… a lot of places in between,” said Ryan Raddon (Kaskade’s real name). A Chicago, Illinois native, Ryan grew up where house music originated. Seeing it unfold first hand certainly influenced him. “I was a spectator for sure, “he expressed. “I bought my first records at Gramaphone Records, which is widely known as the first house music record store in the world. I started visiting there in 1986-87 and started buying a lot of music. I’d go in there, ‘Hey, what’s the newest tracks? What’s the hottest records?’” House has been around for over thirty years now, but not until the last few years 82 MIAMI LIVING snowboarder—he’s both), did I mention handsome?, Ryan Raddon, while he was filming the music video for his latest album’s first single, “Dynasty.” In between takes, costumed in a powder blue tuxedo, Ryan answered questions for ML, and enthusiastically provided conversation-reenactments, which regularly began with ‘Hey man’ or ‘Dude,’ illuminating just how disarming he is in-person. Even his manager, Stephanie LaFera commented, “You know how they say, he/she gives good face? He gives good interview.” I have to agree. WHAT IS HOUSE MUSIC TO YOU? When I was growing up it symbolized the street. It was very raw and had all this energy. Over the last 20 years, it has become more sophisticated and it’s cool because it still kind of captures that energy and still feels very urban to me. has it become more mainstream, showing up more and more in nightclubs, music festivals and pool parties. Why the recent pick up? “Everything’s been done. It’s electronic music’s time. I feel like it sounds fresh and current and it’s been bubbling up in the underground for so long…” Ryan explained. “People are ready for that.” Kaskade released his sixth album, DYNASTY, (all 12-tracks are incredible!) this May, as a follow-up to Strobelite Seduction, featuring global hits “I Remember” with Deadmau5, “Move For Me,” “Angel On My Shoulder” and “Step One Two.” I had the pleasure of meeting the down-to-earth and chill (think surfer/ What influenced your new album DYNASTY? I think it’s kinda a lot of experiences leading up to this point. I’ve been touring a lot over the last 7-8 years, all those experiences —being exposed to all this different club culture, different environments, different countries, different people. Meeting all these people really changed and influenced me as a person. This is a collective of all that stuff leading up to this point. What characterizes your music? My sound, first and foremost is song, strong lyrics and melody —a hook that will grab you when you listen to it. Do you write the songs? Yes, I do. I’ve collaborated with a lot of