DEC. 7: NATIONAL LAPTOP BATTLE CHAMPIONSHIP
Nov 14, 2006 7:58 PM
This December, regional winners from eight different cities will gather in Seattle to face-off for the title of National Laptop Battle Champion. The final winner will receive prizes from a number of leading software and hardware manufacturers.
The battles began in Seattle in 2003 and have since grown into a national phenomenon. They have received media attention from Rolling Stone, NPR, Remix, XLR8R, Groovesmag, Flavorpill, and Keyboard, plus countless online communities and forums.
This year's competitors are:
Seattle: Squidleader, www.myspace.com/squidleader
Chicago: Protman www.myspace.com/protman
Austin: Matthewmatics, www.myspace.com/matthewmatics
Miami: Doormouse, www.myspace.com/doormouse
Dallas: Cygnus, www.myspace.com/cygnusmusic
New York: Velapene, www.myspace.com/velapene
Atlanta: Threv, www.myspace.com/atlsecretlife
Philly: Vytear, www.myspace.com/vytear
The battles are based loosely off dancehall sound clashes in Jamaica and the DMC turntable competitions. Throughout the year, favorite local performers from various cities compete in a series of elimination rounds to find a regional winner. The rounds consist of computer-generated music of any genre created on their laptops. Each set combines sound design, composition and stage performance, offering a chance for laptop musicians to prove their skills.
Rules for participants are simple: Battles are three minutes long and the only weapons allowed are a laptop, mouse, sound card and one MIDI controller; no external devices can be used. Each round is decided by the judges and based on originality, performance, crowd response and technical abilities. The winners of these regional events all receive a paid trip to the final showdown in Seattle each December to crown a champion for the country.
For more information, visit www.myspace.com/laptopbattles. To purchase tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com.
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