Suren Pahlevan

Suren Pahlevan is a PhD student in Music (Ethnomusicology of AI), and a student member of Emmanuel College Cambridge. His doctoral research is (currently) titled “AI-Enhanced Digital Audio Workstation Musicianship in the Age of Technofeudalism”. The project ethnographically examines how music producers are using AI tools within their DAW production workflows, their optimisms and pessimisms towards the increased development of AI music tools and music generative AI, and AI's impact more broadly on contemporary popular music. A core methodology used for this research is interviews with UK and US music producers, from professional (industry) level all the way down to hobbyists. Suren is also conducting fieldwork through in-person and online studio sessions with producers, and as a long-time 'bedroom producer' himself, he has extensive knowledge and experience of beat-making with FL Studio.

Within the project, Suren incorporates literature from AI Ethics, human-computer interaction, music law, and sociology, alongside works in ethnomusicology and Music AI studies surrounding the DAW. His thesis and wider research emphasises the importance and advantages of non-generative AI music tools for music production. Having written his Master's thesis on the changing sound of UK rap between 2017-2022, Suren graduated with an MPhil in Music from Selwyn College Cambridge in 2023. Before his time at Cambridge, he graduated with a 1st class LLB in Law at the University of Leeds in 2022.

Suren's research interests beyond the topic of his PhD include: AI and politics, binaural beats and related music psychology, and cultural theory. His PhD is supervised by Dr Alisha Lola Jones and advised by Dr Peter Harrison. His studentship is co-funded by the AHRC OOC DTP and the Isaac Newton Trust.

To contact Suren regarding his PhD research, reach out at: smp86@cam.ac.uk.