‘Free the music and your cash will follow,’ Kaskade speaks out against major labels
When Kaskade's SoundCloud received an onslaught of take down notices for not only his mash-ups, but a handful of his own originals, fans reeled at what could be the end of an era in dance music. What has always been an industry driven forward by creative expression has since been tainted by major labels who are unaware, unwilling, or unable to adapt to the way music is distributed and consumed in the digital age, and Raddon's latest run-in with the IP police is just the tip of the iceberg. For years dance music has been a shining example of an art for art's sake arrangement between its artists, labels, and fans, but those days may very well be lost in the endless pursuit of profit. As little as 3 years ago, bootlegs were encouraged, mash-ups launched careers, and the idea that the music "belonged" to anyone existed in a very grey area. Now, as dance music becomes a pop culture phenomenon and ingrains itself in our culture and our wallets, the rules are quickly changing and what was once par for the course is now, quite simply, out of the question.