Fire and Ice creates contrasting tones

Kelsey Hess: Staff Writer

★★★★☆

Ryan Raddon, publicly known as Kaskade, is on a roll. He has been awarded the honorary title of “America’s Best DJ of 2011” and worked with electronic music sensation Skrillex. On October 25, he released his seventh album, entitled Fire and Ice.

Kaskade’s changing tones—created by using a different music studio for each album—is perhaps the key to his constantly transforming image. In his latest album, he takes this to the next level by creating two opposite sounds for the same songs. The first of two CDs, entitled Fire, is a collection of upbeat and high-tempo songs. Completing the album is Ice – the same songs remixed to have a completely different feel.

One of the best tracks on Fire is “Eyes.” The mellow yet empowering sounds blend flawlessly into the song’s basic instrumentals and honest vocals. “Ice” (featuring Dan Black) is a catchy song with a strong, forceful energy.

On Ice, the best remix is easily “Room for Happiness,” featuring Skylar Grey. It keeps an upbeat sound similar to other songs on the album, but has a less electronic feel.

Kaskade has always appealed strongly to teenagers and young adults, and South Pasadena High School is no exception. Senior Christian Deamer is an avid listener of Kaskade and is enthusiastic about the new album.

“This is his best album yet,” said Deamer. “I love how he incorporates other producers such as the Neon Trees, Skrillex and Dada Life because it contributes to a really unique variety of music. He has an Ice mix to every song on the album, which I find very soothing, unlike most of his other upbeat music.”

For electronic music fans, Kaskade does not disappoint with this new collection of original and remixed compositions. Although some tracks may be slightly repetitive, the remixes are almost completely separate from the original versions. Fire and Ice is an excellent album that continues to push the boundaries of Kaskade’s chosen genre.