Early Hours can mean a few different things: Are you winding down after being up all night, or are you just rising to meet the sun? When it came to crafting his Early Hours DJ mix, Kaskade decided it didn’t really matter. “What if I say I don’t want to dial it to one side of the clock?” he asks Apple Music. “The best chill music works in that in-between space, when you’re shutting it all down after a frenetic night, or easing yourself into taking on a new day. It’s for that moment when things get quiet and you can actually hear yourself think again. Sometimes that’s dawn, sometimes that’s dusk. Same headspace.” The songs here, then, are gently energizing—and bring both momentum and ease. Expect plenty of Kaskade’s own tracks alongside songs from artists including Ben Böhmer, Nora Van Elken, RÜFÜS DU SOL, and Blonde Maze, Polar Inc., and Channy Leaneagh. As one of America’s premier DJs, Kaskade—aka Ryan Raddon—must have some rules while assembling something like this. “I approach it with respect for texture and tension, letting tracks breathe, letting silence matter,” he says. “If I’m not enjoying it while I’m making it, the listener won’t either. That’s usually my barometer.” A couple of his own tracks, he says, really “anchor” the set. “‘obvious’ has this weightless melody that feels like it’s floating just above the ground, it doesn’t pull you anywhere, it just keeps you company,” says Raddon. “‘unspoken’ leans into repetition in a way that’s almost meditative: nothing flashy, just steady and reassuring. These are the kinds of chill records I love the most. They don’t demand a reaction, they give you room to bring your own.”