Kaskade signs with Warner Bros. Records

Kaskade on why he signed with Warner: “A lot of majors look at electronic musicians as producers first, and say, ‘We’ve got these topline writers and this act we’re trying to break…’ It seems very formulaic. I don’t need the factory behind me. I just need help getting my music heard.”

Also noteworthy is that Kaskade has signed a 2-year deal with XS and is now exclusive through January 2017 (hence no more Marquee shows).

Billboard asks Kaskade about new music: “Kaskade: I’m super anxious to get material out there. I don’t have an album completed, but I spent most of 2014 in the studio so there will be new music in 2015 for sure. It’s premature to say when, exactly, but this is the primary reason the deal happened. To get new music out.”

On why he went with a big label: “I was always cautious to make the move from independent to major. I feel like the majors have such an agenda with the EDM artists they’re signing. And although I’m a producer, I’m an artist first. I think a lot of majors look at electronic musicians as producers first – they say like, ‘Hey cool, we’ve got all these topline writers and this act we’re trying to break so can we get a room together and you can do this to it? And you can do that to it?’ It seems formulaic. It was important to me that my voice not be lost, and that anyone I was going to do business with understood that I enjoy songwriting, I singing, writing and producing. I don’t need the factory behind me, I just need someone to help me get my music heard by as many ears as possible. When I met Cameron Strang and shared my vision with him, I felt like, okay, this guy gets it. It’s not like he’s some dance music aficionado, but he understood how to build an artist and that was what was important to me. He’s not trying to put me in a box or make me his pet producer. It felt like the right place to go.”

One never having a ‘radio hit’ and possible new artists to work with: “this is part of why I signed with Warner. Over my 15 year career, I’ve put out eight albums and countless singles, and I’ve felt myself that I’ve had numerous songs with radio potential, but none of them ultimately made it there – and that’s fine. Not having a radio hit has almost a part of my DNA. But I think when you sit down to make a record, there are always a few special moments that could be further explored and taken to radio. While it’s never been my focus or goal, I think they’re worth exploring.

So, to be clear, I’m not focused on a single and Warner isn’t either. I’m drafting the story of the next record, and Warner is up for the challenge of getting it out there even if it doesn’t have Beyonce as a featured artist. That’s been so much of the formula for breaking dance music so far. Pair a producer with a hot-at-the-moment artist who has stuff on the radio and wait for the explosion. But that was never at the top of the list of things to do for me. And Warner is cool with that. They’re like, ‘You do you and we’ll get the music out there as far as possible.'”

On the future of his career and musical influences of his next album: “I think where I’m at in my career coincides with where peoples’ ears are at right now with electronic music. The sound has matured, and I’ve matured, and people are ready for that next layer, something deeper. I’ve always kind of been in that space, but I’m really trying to pushing myself forward there. It doesn’t have to be bubblegum for people to enjoy it. So much of dance music up until now has been that and it’s a shame. There’s so much more out there. The good news is I think people are finally ready to hear it. They’ve scratched beneath the surface of what this electronic music thing is and they’re ready for what’s next. I’m going to give it to them.”

Source: http://www.billboard.com/articles/6436530/warner-brothers-edm-grammy-nominated-dj-kaskade