Texas, here we come. Before the armies of bands hit Austin for South by Southwest, we’ve got some events going during SxSW Interactive — the “spring break for Web geeks” festival of online tech.

Laptopists battle it out Saturday night 3/8: The Digital Showcase at the Austin Museum of Art is holding a Laptop Battle for Texan laptop artists. I’ll be judging, along with CDM reader favorite (and reader) proem, and two other judges. The night also  features performances from New Berlin and Richard Gear, plus live visuals from CDMotion contributor Dan Winckler. Details at AMODA, upcoming.org. (A paltry $4-$7, and even 18 year-olds can get in.)

Explore creative interfaces for data Sunday 3/9: My panel with interaction design pioneer S. Joy Mountford (Apple, Yahoo) will look at how Web information can become a fluid, artistic medium for visualization and sonification. Details at Create Digital Motion. (Requires SxSW Interactive badge.)

Live CDM music and motion party Monday 3/10: Bring your musical, visual toys, custom code, and DIY projects and hang out with other CDMers at 8pm, then stick around for live performances from musicians and visualists. Details below; let us know you’re coming at upcoming.org, Facebook, SXSWHERE party guide. Free, no badge required.

More on the CDM party — good chance to chill before SxSW Music unloads on you!

Move over, marching band: laptop orchestras are here. Princeton’s laptop orchestra PLOrk will be the featured guest at dorkbot in New York this week, but it’s not the only “laptop ensemble.” The Electronic Music Foundation’s Arts Electric notes laptop orchestras span the globe from New Jersey to Russia:

PLOrk @ Princeton

Moscow Laptop Cyber Orchestra

Oddly enough, these pictures seem to go against the zeitgeist of readers here on Create Digital Music, many of whom prefer to stow their laptop out of the way and focus on physical controllers. I’m hoping that occasionally these laptopists (?) get some more physical interaction with their machines. But there’s no question laptops open up new possibilities for ensemble playing. Challenge: find a way to build rhythms as intricate as those in Indonesian gamelans, only with new wave sounds. Not easy, huh?

Anyone got some other computer music ensembles? I saw Berklee School of Music’s ensemble (a school that also has a turntable ensemble), so that’s at least one, but I expect readers here know of / play in / direct others.

While we’re on the subject of Novation, the good folks at Novation / Focusrite were kind enough to sponsor the Phildelphia Laptop Battle covered here on CDM. They have a great write-up on what went down. They also got to raise the stakes: competitors battled not only for bragging rights, but free gear. So who’s game for a laptop battle here in NYC?

Related:

Laptop Musicians Go Into Battle in Philly

Seclusiasis Studios is hosting a laptop battle tomorrow evening (Wed. 11/30); I can’t go but drop me a line if you’re involved or happen to make it and do take photos. They’ve got some serious judges involved: recording faculty from Temple University, electronic musician Charles Cohen, and the music promotions director for Urban Outfitters. Some of our favorite sponsors, too: Ableton, Grooves, Novation, Focusrite, etc. $7 gets you in.

Competitors: Accidentally Andrew, Arkive, Denim Venom, Illoin, Infra Tester,
Jason Carr, Lalilulelo, Rod Sledge, Sars, Skymall.

Sounds like great fun, even if I’m a bit dubious of encouraging laptop musicians to leave their controllers at home. (CDM’s mission is just the opposite: we want more keyboards and air guitars and webcams and game pads and the like.) Of course, if I get served, I’m going to bring it. Or something.

Previously
Laptop Musicians Do Battle Around US
Laptop Jamming Hits UK, Denmark

In Europe and jealous of the USA's Laptop Battles? Laptop-Jams
is set for this summer in London, Brighton, Glastonbury, and even
Denmark. Instead of going solo, up to three will jam simultaneously,
but no more than three at a time (unlike New York's Share party, where jams are basically unlimited).

The good news is, you can show up with a 2-octave keyboard, which is
verboten at the Laptop Battles here. And video cameras will monitor
what you're doing, so people don't just have to watch "glowing Apple
[logos] & thousand yard stares." It's all good fun — not a
competition, a la the battles.

NPR Morning Edition's David Malakoff yesterday covered the Laptop Battle phenomenon: competitive laptop composition contests that are spreading across North America, thanks to fourthcity's LAPTOPBATTLE.ORG.
NPR caught the recent Mid-Atlantic laptop battle. Players are given a
time-limit and are actually forbidden from using external controllers.
The music must be laptop-only. Then it's a slam — whoever wins over
the judges with their musical mastery and energy wins.

So, how can you get on the action? April 1 (Friday!) is the next
contest in Seattle. (Any Seattle readers? Hit comments and let us know
if you make it!) And the contest will be touring through many other US
cities; check the site for details. For virtual action, download the free DVD. And women, get rolling — there was all of one female entrant in February.

In other news: NPR finally answers the question of what Fruity Loops composition + color commentary sounds like on the radio.