What, exactly, is mastering? Is it a potion? A spell? A hoax? The truth is, it's a subtle and precise art, and a key element of quality music production. It is music's "x-factor", its "special sauce".

Despite often being perceived as some kind of magic, mastering is, in fact, very real, as are the people who do it for a living. Case in point, Grammy-nominated and Juno Award-winning mastering engineer João Carvalho. João is the founder of João Carvalho Mastering, and co-owner of Revolution Recording in Toronto, Canada. Designed by Martin Pilchner, João's mastering studio has been labelled "...the most acoustically perfect mastering room in Canada".

Since the early 2000s, João has built a massive client list, working with much-loved artists such as Sloan, Rose Cousins, Skydiggers, City in Colour, Tanya Tagaq, Donovan Woods, Hayden, Monique Barry, Blue Rodeo, Metric, Serena Ryder, The Tragically Hip, Damhnait Doyle, and Rush...the list goes on and on...

In this episode, João explains his craft, the building of his world class studio, working with the likes of Rose Cousins and Sloan, the utility of a great Weezer track, and why "Claire" by Rheostatics is one of the greatest songs of all time.

Joining the conversation is Music Buddy co-producer Tim Vesely (Rheostatics, The Violet Archers), who has known João since the 90s, and worked with him on many projects over the years.

Music in this episode:

"Music is The Message" - Rheostatics (Here Come the Wolves, 2019)
"Claire" - Rheostatics (Introducing Happiness, 1995)
"Chains" - Rose Cousins (Natural Conclusion, 2017)
"Beverly Hills" - Weezer (Make Believe, 2005)
"The Lines You Amend" - Sloan (One Chord to Another, Deluxe Reissue, 2016)

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MUSIC BUDDY IS:
Jane Gowan (host, producer, editor) ; Tim Vesely (co-producer)

The show's theme song, "Human Stuff," is written by Jane Gowan and Tim Vesely, and performed by Jane and Tim, with additional vocals by Steve Wright and Connie Kostiuk

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This podcast is brought to you by Morning Run Productions.