1396: Kaskade | The Sober Raver Who Spins Hits from Euphoria

About this episode

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 hig