Dear Colleagues,

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I am writing here to express my sincere interest in pursuing a Ph.D. in my actual research, focusing on the materiality of shellac records and their intrinsic links with colonialism and place. My ongoing research, sparked by a transformative visit to the SLBC Radio Archives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in December 2022, forms the basis for my proposed doctoral exploration. During my visit to the SLBC Radio Archives, I had the unique opportunity to immerse myself in a diverse collection of archival materials, encompassing early radio zinc disks, shellac 78" gramophone records, vinyl records, and reels. This experience deepened my understanding of the historical and cultural dimensions of radio broadcasting in Sri Lanka, tracing its roots back to 1923, a mere three years after Britain's groundbreaking first live public radio broadcast. Motivated by the rich history unveiled during this visit, my proposed research aims to critically examine the materiality of shellac records and their connections to colonial narratives, contributing to the broader discourse on media and cultural history.​

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Shellac in Space:

Amplification, Sound Technologies, and Cultural Narratives 

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My artistic practice bridges historical and modern sound technologies, blending acoustic sounds with the immediacy of digital devices. As an interdisciplinary artist and electronic music performer, I am interested in the archaeology of sound and its digital future. My work explores the gramophone as an instrument, examining the materiality of shellac records and their cultural, historical, and sonic dimensions. This includes investigating their links to colonial histories and the concept of place. 

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In my practice, I use mobile gramophones as both instruments and sound sources, manipulating shellac records through scratching, cutting, and rewinding to uncover their acoustic qualities. Amplifying these sounds through audiences’ smartphone speakers creates a contrast, challenging listeners to reconsider their connection to sound technologies and the cultural narratives they carry. This program’s focus on merging historical and digital sound technologies aligns closely with my aspirations, encouraging experimentation with unconventional methods of sound manipulation and opportunities for collaboration and innovation. For example, I am interested in exploring how gramophone-generated sounds could be transformed within three-dimensional ambisonic spaces, redefining how sound is experienced and understood. 

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This proposal addresses critical questions: How have amplification technologies shaped and transformed musical practices across different historical and cultural contexts? In what ways do amplifiers mediate relationships between performers, audiences, and their environments? What socio-political and cultural narratives are embedded in the development and use of amplification technologies? How can artistic practices uncover new perspectives on the historical and cultural dimensions of sound technologies? While historical scholarship on amplification technologies often focuses on their technical evolution or role in enhancing musical performance, less attention has been given to their cultural and socio-political dimensions, particularly in post-colonial contexts and contemporary artistic practices. Building on foundational works such as Sterne’s The Audible Past and Bijsterveld’s Mechanical Sound, this research explores amplification technologies as cultural artifacts, linking the materiality of sound to broader societal structures.

 

My previous projects—such as Transoceanic (BB15, Linz, Austria, 2019) and my residency at the SLBC Radio Archives in Colombo, Sri Lanka (2022, supported by the Goethe-Institut)—have delved into the materiality of shellac records and their connections to colonial histories. These works highlight sound technologies as instruments of both cultural expression and power, blending technical expertise in sound manipulation with a conceptual foundation.

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This research adopts an interdisciplinary methodology by combining archival research, fieldwork, and practice-led exploration. Archival research will involve examining historical documents, patents, and audio recordings to trace the development and cultural adoption of amplification technologies. For example, I plan to analyze colonial-era documents related to the dissemination of gramophones and amplifiers in Asia, investigating how these devices were marketed and their impact on local music traditions. Fieldwork will engage directly with communities, sound artists, and technicians to document their practices and the socio-cultural contexts of their work. This includes conducting interviews and observing performances in diverse settings, such as music festivals, exhibitions and contemporary sound art installations. Practice-led research will involve creating performances and installations that examine the cultural implications of sound technologies, combining acoustic and digital methods to reimagine amplification’s possibilities. “Shellac in Space” also involves manipulating gramophone-generated sounds within a 3D ambisonic environment, exploring spatial soundscapes.

 

The research is feasible, leveraging existing archives and collaborations with artists and institutions. Challenges, such as access to specific historical materials or diverse fieldwork environments, will be addressed through local partnerships and digital documentation techniques. This project contributes significantly to academic discourse on sound studies, technology, and cultural history. By examining amplification technologies as both technical and cultural artifacts, it offers insights into their impact on music cultures and identities. Beyond academia, the project engages broader audiences through performances and installations, and contributes a dialogue about the evolving role of sound technologies in everyday life. By investigating the material, cultural, and artistic dimensions of amplification, this research bridges historical and contemporary perspectives, advancing our understanding of sound technologies’ role in shaping cultural narratives. 

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Thank you for considering my application. 

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Sincerely, 

Sascha Brosamer 

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Sascha Brosamer (*1984) is an interdisciplinary artist and electronic music performer. He is exploring the archaeology of sound and its projection into the digital future. In his current work, Brosamer is researching: „The gramophone as an instrument“ and the „Materiality of shellac records and their intrinsic links with colonialism and place“. He actually works together with Nirto Karsten Fischer on the virtual placement of the acoustic gramophone sound into the three-dimensional space. 

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Brosamer studied Music and Media Art at HKB in Bern, Switzerland and graduated as Meisterschüler in 2014 with honors in Fine Arts from the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe, Germany. His work has been shown at Zwinger Gallery Berlin, Goethe Institute Colombo/Sri Lanka, Club Silencio Paris, Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, WP8 Düsseldorf, BB15 Linz, Oz Gallery Tokyo, Le Case d‘Arte Milan and Cooper Union Gallery New York. He is founder of Global Forest, an artist residency in the former studio of Martin Kippenberger in the Black Forest/Germany and curator of Dual Sessions, a multidisciplinary format that brings together turntable industry, science, art, music and pop. 

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In collaboration with Graham Dunning (London), he released the album “Glocken” (2019, Invisible City Records). Together they dig deep into the beauty of textural studies, analogue media and surface details. As well as the Transoceanic EP (2020) on BB15/Linz, which deals with the cultural imagination of dematerialisation, historical sound carriers and digital colonialism. His latest vinyl edition „Donaueschingen 2020“ is a sound recording of the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2020, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. Brosamer documented the festival, which did not take place in a performative act of silence on tape. This record was the first release on the Cologne based label “Total Silence”, he co-founded with Manuel Schaub in 2021.

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