Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) — Masters Radio Interview
Recorded during Canadian Support Month. We welcome Harry into the Masters family to unpack the hope and craft behind Chasing Euphoria, the day-to-day realities of mastering, and how modern tech can help—without harming the music.
? Buy Chasing Euphoria (Frontiers Music)
What you’ll hear
- Album arc: Chasing Euphoria & “Reliving History” — melodic optimism with real stakes.
- Writing with intent: producing as you write; why there aren’t piles of unused songs.
- Mastering mindset: format-specific masters (CD / streaming / vinyl) and why loudness isn’t a cure-all.
- Archival wins: finishing a Frank Sinatra box set and carefully restoring 1940s performances.
- Tech that helps: de-stemming/isolation for respectful archival work; where AI adds value (and where it doesn’t).
- Remote collabs: building full records with far-flung writers and players; First Signal as a blueprint.
- On the road: release-week dates, then a pivot back to the mastering desk.
Segments
- 0:05 — Welcome & Masters Radio · Canadian Support Month
- 0:53 — New album: Chasing Euphoria + “Reliving History”
- 9:29 — Younger artists: then vs. now, development & reality checks
- 15:41 — Mastering every day + Sinatra box set (how a finisher thinks)
- 19:49 — Format-specific masters: CD vs Streaming vs Vinyl
- 24:14 — Modern tech: de-stemming/isolation—respectful archival work
- 34:56 — AI in context: what helps vs hype; archiving legacy catalog
- 48:21 — Remote collaborations & First Signal lessons
- 53:02 — Touring plans, what’s next & fan invitation
Tip: Chapters are also in the YouTube description—click the timestamps there to jump.
Pull quotes
“I just finished a Frank Sinatra box set mastering.”
“I was able to extract Sinatra’s vocal from the orchestra… then reprocess and rebalance it.”
“Definitely doing vinyl masters for everything… CD, streaming, vinyl…”
“It’s the wild, wild west.”