The best of Kaskade

I believe DJs should get more recognition than what people choose to give them these days. They may seem like anonymous creatures in front of their equipment most of the time but their contribution to the development of modern music and even to lifestyles is truly massive. A DJ does not only play music, he has the power to put a song in the most flattering light to encourage people to listen to them. A lot of DJ planning also goes into the music you dance to, that you hear playing in your head while pounding the city sidewalks or which lightens housework because it reminds you of sashaying models in fashion shows.

An excellent example of the latter is Here & Now, a greatest hits collection by one of the world’s hottest DJs, Kaskade. Known for his hip, multi-rhythmic grooves, Kaskade was born Ryan Raddon but changed his name when he became a DJ. Remember this Kaskade has two K’s, not two C’s. He probably chose this name because it describes the smooth dance tracks he creates then changed the C to K so as not to be mistaken for the ‘60s pop group.

As for the term, DJ, it is certainly far from the usually anonymous in his case. Kaskade is a star with a loyal following who traipses happily across continents to be present during his stints. These can be in the trendiest places in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia, where Kaskade takes stand-out tracks and puts these together with just the right thumps and four to the floor beats for the moneyed set.

Now, ordinary creatures like us may never be able to get into those pricey clubs where Kaskade plays his music. But this guy is such a star that his mixes have been immortalized on CDs and we can now listen or groove to them anytime we want to. I do not know if any of his earlier releases are available locally but I am sure Here & Now, a pulsating collection of house tracks spiced with jazz and soul that are also Kaskades’ biggest sellers is now in the stores. I know, the effect is not anything like dancing to Kaskade in a club in Ibiza but if you close your eyes, you might experience something close.

The carrier single is It’s You It’s Me, a huge favorite among local clubs even long before this album came out. There are also, Everything, the first worldwide smash which made No. 1 in Billboard’s dance chart, Steppin’ Out, Kaskade’s first big hit, I Like The Way with its sexy gait, Sweet Love, which is made for heavy thumping, the seductive Soundtrack To The Soul plus Gonna Make It, Samba Love, I Feel Like and What I Say.

More dance albums

Still on dance albums: Kaskade’s It’s You It’s Me featuring Joslyn, is also the lead track in another recently released dance CD. This is Club MYX, a brainchild by MYX Channel director Andre Alvarez. That means the top guy in the country’s No. 1 music channel picked out the tunes and thought of how the assorted mixes and combinations will blend for great dance moments. Not the Shall We Dance kind but just the casual moves that those with two-left-feet can do. Take note that we only have a few more weeks to go before we plunge into this year’s party season. I am sure Club MYX will prove very helpful to get your parties grooving.

The lead track is Come Rain, Come Shine by Jenn Cuneta. If I remember right, Jenn, a Filipino based abroad, was the same girl who recorded the dance version of the theme from the movie Gladiator which became a big hit in Europe. Perhaps this new tune will give Jenn her first hit in the Philippines.

Other interesting cuts and probable sellers in Club MYX are: The Day a mix by Leon Chaplain with The Day You Said Goodnight by Hale as the main ingredient, Pink is the Colour by K&M featuring Joy, which is available for the first time on CD, Everywhere, the UK No. 1 hit by Bonnie Bailey with LnM Projekt and Faster Kill Pussycat by Paul Oakenfold, another famous DJ, featuring actress Brittany Murphy’s sultry vocals.