AI can copy dance music's sound but not its soul. Grammy-nominated DJ Kaskade is here to share 30 years of lessons on art, failure, and savoring success.
Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1396
What We Discuss with Kaskade:
- AI isn't black and white for Kaskade — he's made music with machines for 30 years and welcomes help with mundane tasks, but push-button songs miss the point. What angers him is models clearly trained on his catalog while artists like him never see a check in the mail.
- When a generator caught fire before 40,000 fans at the L.A. Coliseum, Kaskade sat down with a Diet Coke while Deadmau5 raged at the crew — then held up his phone's flashlight. After months of prep and millions spent, the most memorable moment was the one nobody planned.
- Honest art means accepting it won't connect with everyone. undux, his introspective record after the fire, and a Christmas album cost him fans, but creating just to please the crowd never works. undux had to happen so Origin //, his return to big, celebratory anthems, could happen.
- A sober Latter-day Saint who teaches early-morning seminary, Kaskade found dance music as an escape from high school keggers. The rave scene welcomed this misfit, and he gets his high from the music and the community — proof there's room for everyone on the dance floor.
- What can you take away from this episode? Check in honestly about whether your work is working, and be willing to pivot to a neighboring role you still love; Kaskade's career grew from seizing each new opening. And when you win, savor it before asking what's next. You can keep improving and still enjoy the night.
- And much more...
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