About

specializing in electronic, urban, and beyond

Process // Team // Gear

A platform for a new generation of artists

The struggle of achieving the perfect state of art is more meaningful than ever. Doubling as both a record label and full service audio production studio, HGR :: STUDIO will bring you the finest, most affordable sonic treatment.
We've gathered and tested the new, the old, the unheard of, all while developing our own signature process for a very innovative & organic audio treatment.
The past year has been spent meticulously building a new studio space in the heart of Brewerytown, Philadelphia. The space features a fully loaded control and live room. Complete with analog outboard, HD monitoring, and superb acoustical treatment.
HGR :: LABEL is a home, and platform for our boundary pushing catalog of talent. A generation of artists invoking raw emotion. Mutual gains promoting deeper, more meaningful musical relationships through innovative sonic explorations. Distributing and promoting musical sources aligning with our analog electronic philosophies.

  • Independent engineer services
  • Musical aspiration idealization
  • Artist development, production, and guidance

Our Process

We love analog audio.
At Hour Glass Recordings we believe there is no vibe like the character from physical boxes or instruments. Hybrid control allows us to shape and color your sound with analog love, while our digital systems allow us to finely tune and polish everything, truly the best of both worlds. You will find the sonic character of our work to be pleasing in all respects, warmth, depth, clarity, and tonality. We strive for commercial loudness, with core dynamic retention, its out of this world.

Engineers

Martin Esser

Owner, Engineer Manager

Staying true to his vision, Martin strives to help artists and clients idealize their goals while providing a wealth of engineering knowledge. The idea of a parallel studio & label began to combine in early 2017, resulting in the birth of Hour Glass Recordings. Martin graduated from Temple University with a minor Audio Engineering, working live sound simultaneously at nearby venues. Creating & composing electronic music since early 2014 with his primary project ESSONITE, his knowledge of audio engineering has grown vast and deep.

Charlie Barry

Senior Engineer

Since the age of 8 charles has been involved with some form of music each day. From jazz trombone, classic rock guitar, or electronic synthesis design. Charles has gathered a wealth of knowledge on Audio Engineering via consistent education and practice. Since 2015, he has been composing and engineering electronic music under the moniker, Heavyside Function, with a heavy emphasis on vintage style emulation. The musician-first experience allows him to hold a very unique level of empathy towards the clients, and it helps ensure the best possible experience and product for every customer.

Will Loftus

Senior Engineer

Will has been involved with the Philadelphia music community for almost a decade, spanning genres from indie-surf rock band Minor Setbacks, to co-writing and co-producing in the electro-soul project ESSONITE. Will graduated from Temple University with a degree in Media Production and a focus in audio engineering. He is constantly looking for new ways to push traditional audio boundaries while providing clients with a consistently outstanding product.






Gear

Mic Locker

  • Shure SM57's
  • Shure SM58's
  • Rode M5 Pair
  • sE Electronics 4400a
  • sE Electronics XR 1
  • MXL 990
  • Sennheiser E604
  • Audix D6
  • Electro Voice ND68

Instruments/Tracking

  • DSI Prophet Rev2
  • Roland VR 730
  • Arturia Drum Brute Impact
  • Epiphone Thunderbird Bass Guitar
  • Eurorack Case: MakeNoise, 4MS, Doepfer, Intellijel, Noise Engineering, Mutable Instruments, Moog, Erica Synths, & more.
  • Drum Kit made available upon request (Mapex 4 piece, multiple snares + cymbals available)

Production/ Outboard/ Conversion

  • Allen & Heath GLS 2400 Console
  • Klark Teknik EQP-KT
  • Kush Audio Claraphonic MS Equalizer
  • Lindell Audio 10slot
  • Fredenstein 500s Art Preamp
  • Lindell Audio 500s Preamp/EQ
  • DIYRE Color Pallette, 70s colors
  • DBX 166SX
  • DBX 166XS
  • Art Pro VLA II
  • Focusrite 18i20
  • Behringer ADA8200

Monitoring

  • Neumann KH120A's
  • Avantone Mix Cube
  • Bower & Wilkins CDM 1SE
  • Realistic Minimus Surround
  • Presonus Monitor Station v2
  • Control + Live Room Acoustic Sciences Corp Tube Trap Treatment