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

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...
And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here (itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&…) — even one sentence helps!
• Sign up for Six-Minute Networking (jordanharbinger.com/course) — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!
• Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser (jordanharbinger.com/news) newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!
• Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger (reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger)!
This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors (jordanharbinger.com/deals):
• AT&T: Get an iPhone 17 Pro for $0: att.com/iphone or visit an AT&T store for details (att.com/iphone)
• BetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordan (betterhelp.com/jordan)
• Boll & Branch: 15% off first set of sheets: bollandbranch.com, code JORDAN (bollandbranch.com)
• EarnIn: Download EarnIn on the App Store or Google Play, type JordanHarbinger under Podcast (app.earnin.com)
See Privacy Policy at art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.