Kaskade signs to major label Warner Bros. Records
Notoriously known for his own outspoken Tumblr verses about speaking out against major labels and even coining the inspirational line, “free the music and your cash will follow,” Kaskade has turned the tables and signed a two album deal with Warner Brothers Records. Ryan Raddon explained to Billboard that the decision was made to simply grow his audience: “I don’t need the factory behind me. I just need help getting my music heard.”
Perhaps in an effort to more effectively skirt his way around his previous problems while facing SoundCloud’s aggressive new initiative to cleanse the platform of “copyright infringement” tracks, Kaskade continues to explain that “the primary reason the deal happened [is to] get new music out there.” Though no news of an album release date have been announced yet, it seems as though the Grammy nominee is sitting on unheard music that will be arriving sometime throughout the year.
Without avoiding the obvious fact that Kaskade has always been a strong advocate for independent labels and artists – especially after only recently launching his new Arkade Label – he illuminated more details on his new decision:
“Although I’m a producer, I’m an artist first. I think a lot of majors look at electronic musicians as producers first – they say like, ‘Hey cool, we’ve got all these topline writers and this act we’re trying to break so can we get a room together and you can do this to it? And you can do that to it?’ It seems formulaic. It was important to me that my voice not be lost, and that anyone I was going to do business with understood that I enjoy songwriting, I singing, writing and producing. I don’t need the factory behind me, I just need someone to help me get my music heard by as many ears as possible. When I met Cameron Strang and shared my vision with him, I felt like, okay, this guy gets it. It’s not like he’s some dance music aficionado, but he understood how to build an artist and that was what was important to me. He’s not trying to put me in a box or make me his pet producer. It felt like the right place to go.”
With a new major label partnership in his corner, it seems Kaskade’s near future may have some exciting new possibilities. Neither confirming nor denying potential new (i.e., unexpected) collaborations, Raddon is not against the idea of allowing his new label to help encourage a radio single – a feat that the veteran producer has surprisingly yet to achieve. “I think when you sit down to make a record, there are always a few special moments that could be further explored and taken to radio. While it’s never been my focus or goal, I think they’re worth exploring.”
In the end, Kaskade hopes long time fans will understand that his choice to go major label won’t be the catalyst for any paramount change in his style and aesthetic. “That’s been so much of the formula for breaking dance music so far. Pair a producer with a hot-at-the-moment artist who has stuff on the radio and wait for the explosion. But that was never at the top of the list of things to do for me. And Warner is cool with that. They’re like, ‘You do you and we’ll get the music out there as far as possible.'”
He describes his upcoming music as “matured,” as is his audience; ready to go deeper and explore a new facet of electronic music. “So much of dance music up until now has been that and it’s a shame. There’s so much more out there. The good news is I think people are finally ready to hear it. They’ve scratched beneath the surface of what this electronic music thing is and they’re ready for what’s next. I’m going to give it to them.”
Via: Billboard
Related:
Kaskade launches new label Arkade
‘Free the music and cash will follow,’ Kaskade speaks out against major labels
Kaskade confirms development of new platform and hints at new album
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