a one-man band compu-rock musical project using custom hardware and software running on a wearable computer
robotcowboy is a wearable computing platform to explore new types of man-machine music & artistic performance. Embedded computing, custom open-source software, and audio electronics are utilized to build portable, self contained systems which both embed and embody the computation on the performer. This cyborg approach is both empowering and compromising as new sonic capability & movement are offset by the need for electrical energy: elements of tension between human and system. robotcowboy shows are always live and contain aspects of improvisation, feedback with the audience, and an inherent capability of failure.
robotcowboy's first 2006-2007 incarnation melded rock with realtime algorithmic composition tools into a dynamic live show. The second incarnation followed the story of the first human on Mars with spacesuit as portable music machine in 2013. The ongoing third incarnation explores themes of trajectories, radiation, and space travel. The future is bright, do you have room to wiggle?
For details, see:
- "robotcowboy: 10 Years of Wearable Computer Rock" paper, NIME conference, 2018
- "robotcowboy: A One Man Band Musical Cyborg" Master’s thesis, Chalmers University of Technology, 2007
- "robotcowboy" paper, Mobile Music Workshop, 2007
Manifesto: "10 Tenets of robotcowboy"
Shows
2024
Oct 26th 2024 @ the Sonic Visions Festival, Reutlingen DE
Sep 4th to 8th @ the 2024 CAMP Festival for Visual Music, Wagenhallen, Stuttgart DE
Jun 12th 2024 19:00 @ the Neuland Innovationstag 2024, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe DE
Mar 21st 2024 @ the Non-Conference, ZKM, Karlsruhe DE special intro performance
2023
Dec 31st 2023 New Years party @ the Funk Institut, Kolberg DE (SE of Berlin)
Nov 19th 2023 16:30 iterative ßpace #2 @ ßpace, Fritz-Erler-Str. 7, Karlsruhe DE
special "input sessions" performance, appearing with Ralt144MI & members of TOPLAP Karlsruhe
Sep 9th 2023 @ the Ars Electronica Festival, Linz AT
appearing in support of the Oribotics instruments research project by artist Matthew Gardiner,
presented at the Ars Electronica Festival 2023's Open Futurelab
Aug 5th 2023 20:10 @ ZKM KAMUNA, Lichthof 8, Karlsruhe DE
special "PolyCloud" sound piece performance
Jun 21st 2023 19:00 @ Trifels-Hub Theaterstr. 10 as part of the Féte de la Musique 2023, Landau DE for the Landauer Leerstandinitiative
Jun 16th & 17th 2023 @ P8 / Schauenburg as part of the Kulturdose 01 Festival, Karlsruhe DE
16.06.2023 Fri: mini-performances @ 18:45 & 19:45
17.06.2023 Sat: full set @ 21:00
special performances and actions from the "theater bus"
2022
Nov 19th 2022 @ Østre as part of the Piksel 22 open-source art festival, Bergen NO
Aug 14th 2022 @ Wandern mit dem Kopf exhibition opening, Fleischmarkthalle in the Alter Schlachthof, Karlsruhe DE
with special performance: "Wobble"
Aug 6th 2022 @ ZKM KAMUNA, ZKM (Vorplatz), Karlsruhe DE
Apr 30th 2022 @ Yasha's, Karlsruhe DE (live album & video)
Jan 6th 2022 @ Tag der offenen Tür | Open House, ZKM, Karlsruhe DE (livestream video replay)
2021
Aug 28th 2021 @ A-dela? | Is it working? festival, CD Club, Ljubljana SL performed over livestream from the ZKM Kubus
2018
Sep 8th 2018 @ exhibition closing, Jubez (Vorplatz), Karlsruhe DE
Jun 25th 2018 @ EASTN-DC conference, University of Manchester, Manchester UK
Jun 7th 2018 @ NIME 2018, University of Virginia, Blacksburg VA US
May 18th 2018 @ KV Letschebach, (Durlach) Karlsruhe DE
2017
Nov 25th 2017 @ the Giga-Hertz Prize 2017 afterparty, ZKM, Karlsruhe DE
2016
Nov 17th-20th 2016 @ PdCon16~, NYU Waverly Labs, New York NY US
Oct 7th 2016 @ AutumnLEAF 2016, Lafayette CO US
with Oynx Ashanti, SUE-C, & Normal Ones
Jun 24th 2016 @ Steal the Show!, Lowe Mill, Huntsville AL US live game show guest musical act
Jun 3rd 2016 @ 701 Gallery, Denver CO US performance a part of solo show: "My Wiggly World"
2006-2022
...many previous dates back to 2006 to be added...
