THE 2007 BATTLES ARE OVER. CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. MAXIMILLIAN RHEINHARDT!

what the hell is a laptop battle?

The laptop battle is a competitive event for laptop musicians to match their skills against one another.
Battles are chosen randomly and conducted in 2 or 3 minute rounds. A panel of judges decides which contestant advances to the next round, double elimination style.
It's fusion of sound design, composition and stage performance, and a chance for laptop musicians to prove their skills in battle and develop techniques and strategies.
Battles are held throughout the United States during the year, culminating in one final competition in Seattle every December to crown a National Champion.
Atlanta is sending one representative to the National Finals, along with over $1000 worth of software.

could it be you?


the rules:

There are two (2) qualifying battles and one (1) final battle.
Each battle is a double-elimination tournament.
There are three (3) judges per battle.
Judging is loosely based on these criteria:

Judging Guidelines

- EMOTIONAL IMPACT - It's hard to judge on a thing like originality, so we need to break it down to the basics....are you feelin' it or not? This is a laptop battle, a punk soundclash delivered via a little silver box that's been programed to destroy. Ya'lll are producers and know what to look for. For me, it's that moment where my blood starts to rush to my head and i break out in a big smile...

- PERFORMANCE - It's not easy to "perform" with a laptop. Each contestant is allowed 1 Midi controller, which allows them to interface with their music software via knobs, faders, buttons, keys, pads, etc. This is their weapon of choice, the way they have chosen to interface with their musical creation...you want to see 'em workin' that shit!

- SONG DEVELOPMENT - Hooks,builds and breakdowns. Sounds, patterns and movement. How well they are fit together live will be your decision.

- CROWD RESPONSE - Crowd response could be described as how loud the audience cheers for one contestant or the other. Or it could be their reaction to the battle on the dancefloor as the track is played. Perhaps an exodus to the bar? The crowd is like a barometer, it predicts the obvious outcomes, but isn't always right. Other times, there is a contestant with a bunch of fans who are there to be heard. Ultimately, you make the decision. Remember: There are no rematches.

Each contestant is allowed to bring ONE (1) laptop, ONE (1) external sound card, and ONE (1) external "controller" (MIDI, extra numeric pad, etc.)

Each preliminary battle is capped at 16 contestants, and consists of two (2) minute rounds.

The top four (4) from each qualifying battle will return to compete in the 8-person, 1 champion final battle.

the when:

There are two (2) preliminary battles: There is one (1) final battle:

the prizes:

- a slot at the Championship Battle, December 2007 in Seattle
- Ableton Live "Sampler" Instrument
- Native Instruments Reaktor, Traktor or Massive
- Tracktion recording software from Mackie
- Sonic Charge's ยต-tonic drum machine VST plugin
- Fab Filter's "One" synth VST plugin
- Fresh gear from Soy Clothing
- Replikant VST plugin from Audio Damage
- Phoscyon VST, by D16
- M-Audio - Mid Air 25 MIDI controller


questions, comments, and feedback may be directed to threv
thanks, and good luck.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Battle 1: holy shit

Thanks *yet again* to everyone who competed and brought folks out. Everyone
on the promotion & planning side of things was absolutely
flabbergasted at the turnout
and support. Tons of insanely supportive comments and letters have poured in,
and we're preparing for the next battle.

HERE ARE PICTURES FROM THE FIRST BATTLE (Thanks to Mike Alberghini)

HERE ARE VIDEOS FROM THE FIRST BATTLE (Thanks to Datavortex)

HERE ARE THE MP3S

We now have a full 16 bracket for the upcoming battle on:
August 13

The top 4 from the 1st battle are:
Graham Coleman
Charlie P
Maximillian Reinhardt
pH

*HOWEVER*
Graham Coleman has sadly announced that he is unable to make the finals,
as he is moving to Barcelona, Spain for his Ph.D. Congratulations & GOOD LUCK
to Mr. Coleman on his future career plans!
This means, however, that there will be an alternate for the finals.
Hot-Tub announced that he's unable to make it to the finals (please
correct me if I'm wrong)
so that means
POODLEFACE is moving on. Congratulations!

A BIG THANK YOU TO JUDI CHICAGO ( www.myspace.com/judichicago )
for performing at the end of the night, especially when my poor planning
dictated that they play late as hell.
GO BUY THEIR CD! IT'S OUT NOW! HOORAY!


2) Upcoming events

As promised, the winner (Graham Coleman) recently performed at:
SPARK!
Saturday, June 28:

www.nophi.net/spark
featuring:
r_garcia
larvae (the full band of Dr. Reinhardt - www.zeroplate.com )
Graham Coleman

everyone rocked it real hard, and special thanks to Larvae
for staying late and killing it hard.

This is the first of hopefully many monthlies at
Park Grounds coffee shop
Next battle's winner will also be featured.

142 Flat Shoals Ave SE
Atlanta GA 30316
MAP: http://tinyurl.com/2tpgrn

3) Next Battle

As announced, we have a FULL 16 bracket of folks for the August 13 preliminary.
A flyer is being made currently, so get the word out, and come support
your fellow
battlers!
There will *not* be an exhibition match OR a band performance due to the amount
of time necessary to actually get through the battle.

Come out August 13 and support the new crop of battlers - your
response will help determine who the winners face in October.

posted by threv at 11:28 PM

1 Comments:

Poodleface said...

Oh man, I wish I was in town so I could see that show. Looking forward to August 13th and beyond, WOO.

Saturday, August 4, 2007 8:42:00 PM EST  

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