Kaskade
ListenWhat I Say · 2001
Kaskade — “What I Say,” original version; official audio.
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2001 · OM Records
What I Say
Ryan Raddon was working at Om Records when he began slipping his own tracks anonymously into the label’s demo pile. “What I Say” became the first single Om accepted under his new name, Kaskade. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0138 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Kaskade |
| Release | 2001 · United States |
| Label | OM Records · OM 078SV |
| Format | 12-inch vinyl single |
| Issue | US commercial issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | NM |
Release history and significance
The route to that desk job ran through Chicago house radio and a record shop in Salt Lake City. Raddon had DJed to help pay for university, run a weekly house night, and built a studio at his shop, Mechanized Records. Earlier releases appeared under other names. [1]
After moving to San Francisco in 2000, he became an A&R assistant to Om founder Chris Smith. He continued making music after work, letting the anonymous demos speak for themselves. “What I Say” opened Mark Grant’s Sound Design Volume 2 in 2001; more singles followed, then a three-album deal. [1]
The twelve-inch pairs Rob Wannamaker’s vocal with Caleb Chapman’s saxophone. Finn Bjarnson is credited as engineer and Scott Wiley as mixer. Its reverse offers the Gravel Sax Dub and a short Bonus Beats version, giving DJs several ways into the same composition. [2]
Market context
Discogs reports sales for OM 078SV from US$3.37 to US$15.00, with a median of US$8.23, as recorded on 14 September 2026. [2]
Physical Description
US twelve-inch in a picture sleeve, retaining shrink wrap. The A-side contains “What I Say”; the B-side contains the Gravel Sax Dub and Gravel Bonus Beats. [2]
Condition
Seller spacetracks1 graded both the disc and sleeve Near Mint and described the copy as still in shrink.
Provenance
Acquired through Discogs from seller spacetracks1 on 18 August 2026.
Sources
- Om Records, Kaskade. Label biography describing the demo submissions and first Om single.
- Discogs, Kaskade — What I Say, release 469605. Edition reference and sales statistics consulted 14 September 2026.
Catalogue text reviewed 14 September 2026.