Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen (see pyrolysis, char and biochar). The resulting soft, brittle, lightweight, black, porous material resembles coal.

Etymology

The first part of the word is of obscure origin, but the first use of the term "coal" in English was as a reference to charcoal. In this compound term, the prefix "chare-" meant "turn", with the literal meaning being "to turn to coal". The independent use of "char", meaning to scorch, to reduce to carbon, is comparatively recent and is assumed to be a back-formation from the earlier charcoal. It may be a use of the word charren or churn, meaning to turn; i.e. wood changed or turned to coal, or it may be from the French charbon. A person who manufactured charcoal was formerly known as a (also as a wood collier). The word "collier" was also used for those who mined or dealt in coal, and for the ships that transported it.

History

near Walker, Arizona, USA.]]

Historically, production of wood charcoal in districts where there is an abundance of wood dates back to a very ancient period, and generally consists of piling billets of wood on their ends so as to form a conical pile, openings being left at the bottom to admit air, with a central shaft to serve as a flue. The whole pile is covered with turf or moistened clay. The firing is begun at the bottom of the flue, and gradually spreads outwards and upwards. The success of the operation depends upon the rate of the combustion. Under average conditions, 100 parts of wood yield about 60 parts by volume, or 25 parts by weight, of charcoal; small scale production on the spot often yields only about 50%, large scale was efficient to about 90% even by the seventeenth century. The operation is so delicate that it was generally left to colliers (professional charcoal burners).

The massive production of charcoal (at its height employing hundreds of thousands, mainly in Alpine and neighbouring forests) was a major cause of deforestation, especially in Central Europe. In England, many woods were managed as coppices, which were cut and regrew cyclically, so that a steady supply of charcoal would be available (in principle) forever; complaints (as early as the Stuart period) about shortages may relate to the results of temporary over-exploitation or the impossibility of increasing production to match growing demand. The increasing scarcity of easily harvested wood was a major factor for the switch to the fossil fuel equivalents, mainly coal and brown coal for industrial use.

The modern process of carbonizing wood, either in small pieces or as sawdust in cast iron retorts, is extensively practiced where wood is scarce, and also for the recovery of valuable byproducts (wood spirit, pyroligneous acid, wood tar), which the process permits. The question of the temperature of the carbonization is important; according to J. Percy, wood becomes brown at 220 °C, a deep brown-black after some time at 280 °C, and an easily powdered mass at 310 °C. Charcoal made at 300° is brown, soft and friable, and readily inflames at 380 °C; made at higher temperatures it is hard and brittle, and does not fire until heated to about 700 °C.

In Finland and Scandinavia, the charcoal was considered the by-product of wood tar production. The best tar came from pine, thus pinewoods were cut down for tar pyrolysis. The residual charcoal was widely used as substitute for metallurgical coke in blast furnaces for smelting. Tar production led to rapid deforestation: it has been estimated all Finnish forests are younger than 300 years. The end of tar production in the end of the 19th century meant also rapid re-forestation.

The charcoal briquette was first invented and patented by Ellsworth B. A. Zwoyer of Pennsylvania in 1897 and was produced by the Zwoyer Fuel Company. The process was further popularized by Henry Ford, who used wood and sawdust byproducts from automobile fabrication as a feedstock. Ford Charcoal went on to become the Kingsford Company.

Types

Commercial charcoal is found in either lump, briquette, or extruded forms:

Lump charcoal is made directly from hardwood material and usually produces far less ash than briquettes.

Briquettes are made by compressing charcoal, typically made from sawdust and other wood by-products, with a binder and other additives. The binder is usually starch. Some briquettes may also include brown coal (heat source), mineral carbon (heat source), borax, sodium nitrate (ignition aid), limestone (ash-whitening agent), raw sawdust (ignition aid), and other additives like paraffin or petroleum solvents to aid in ignition. Extruded charcoal is made by extruding either raw ground wood or carbonized wood into logs without the use of a binder. The heat and pressure of the extruding process hold the charcoal together. If the extrusion is made from raw wood material, the extruded logs are then subsequently carbonized.

The characteristics of charcoal products (lump, briquette, or extruded forms) vary widely from product to product. Thus it is a common misconception to stereotype any kind of charcoal, saying which burns hotter, etc.

Uses

An application of wood charcoal was as a constituent of gunpowder. It was also used in metallurgical operations as a reducing agent, but its application has been diminished over the years by the introduction of coke, anthracite smalls, etc. However following Brazilian law changes in 2010, the use of charcoal is now increasing in the production of pig iron and steel to reduce carbon emissions after President Lula da Silva's commitment to make a "green steel". Charcoal may be used to smelt a variety of metals such as copper and iron as it burns at the necessary temperature: and acts as a reducing agent. A limited quantity is made up into the form of drawing crayons; but the greatest amount is used as a fuel, which burns hotter and cleaner than wood. Charcoal is often used by blacksmiths, for cooking, and for other industrial applications.

Cooking fuel

In the developed world, charcoal briquettes are widely used for outdoor grilling and barbecues in backyards and on camping trips.

In many non-industrialized countries, charcoal is used for everyday cooking by a large portion of the population. This is a serious health problem when used indoors. Amy Smith reports that acute respiratory infection from indoor cooking fires is the number one cause of death in children under 5 in the third world. This represents nearly 2 million deaths per year. In addition, carbon monoxide (CO) is a combustion product. It also contributes to outside air pollution.

Industrial fuel

Historically, charcoal was used in great quantities for smelting iron in bloomeries and later blast furnaces and finery forges. This use was replaced by coke during the Industrial Revolution. For this purpose, charcoal in England was measured in dozens (or loads) consisting of 12 sacks or shems or seams, each of 8 bushels.

Automotive fuel

In times of scarce petroleum, automobiles and even buses have been converted to burn wood gas (gas mixture containing primarily carbon monoxide) released by burning charcoal or wood in a wood gas generator. In 1931 Tang Zhongming developed an automobile powered by charcoal, and these cars were popular in China until the 1950s. In occupied France during World War II, wood and wood charcoal production for such vehicles (called gazogènes) increased from pre-war figures of approximately fifty thousand tons a year to almost half a million tons in 1943.

Purification and filtration

Charcoal may be activated to increase its effectiveness as a filter. Activated charcoal readily adsorbs a wide range of organic compounds dissolved or suspended in gases and liquids. In certain industrial processes, such as the purification of sucrose from cane sugar, impurities cause an undesirable color, which can be removed with activated charcoal. It is also used to absorb odors and toxins in gases, such as air. Charcoal filters are also used in some types of gas masks. The medical use of activated charcoal is mainly the adsorption of poisons, especially in the case of suicide attempts in which the patient has ingested a large amount of a drug. Activated charcoal is available without a prescription, so it is used for a variety of health-related applications. For example, it is often used to reduce discomfort (and embarrassment) due to excessive gas in the digestive tract.

Animal charcoal or bone black is the carbonaceous residue obtained by the dry distillation of bones. It contains only about 10% carbon, the remainder being calcium and magnesium phosphates (80%) and other inorganic material originally present in the bones. It is generally manufactured from the residues obtained in the glue and gelatin industries. Its decolorizing power was applied in 1812 by Derosne to the clarification of the syrups obtained in sugar refining; but its use in this direction has now greatly diminished, owing to the introduction of more active and easily managed reagents. It is still used to some extent in laboratory practice. The decolorizing power is not permanent, becoming lost after using for some time; it may be revived, however, by washing and reheating. Wood charcoal also to some extent removes coloring material from solutions, but animal charcoal is generally more effective.

Art

Charcoal is used in art for drawing, making rough sketches in painting and is one of the possible media for making a parsemage. It must usually be preserved by the application of a fixative. Artists generally utilize charcoal in three forms: Vine charcoal is created by burning sticks of wood (usually willow or linden/Tilia) into soft, medium, and hard consistencies.

Compressed charcoal charcoal powder mixed with gum binder compressed into round or square sticks. The amount of binder determines the hardness of the stick. Compressed charcoal is used in charcoal pencils.

Powdered charcoal is often used to "tone" or cover large sections of a drawing surface. Drawing over the toned areas will darken it further, but the artist can also lighten (or completely erase) within the toned area to create lighter tones.

Horticulture

One additional use of charcoal rediscovered recently is in horticulture. Although American gardeners have been using charcoal for a short while, research on Terra preta soils in the Amazon has found the widespread use of biochar by pre-Columbian natives to turn otherwise unproductive soil into very rich soil. The technique may find modern application, both to improve soils and as a means of carbon sequestration.

Medicine

Charcoal was consumed in the past as dietary supplement for gastric problems in the form of charcoal biscuits. Now it can be consumed in tablet, capsule or powder form, for digestive effects.

Red colobus monkeys in Africa have been observed eating charcoal for the purposes of self-medication. Their leafy diets contain high levels of cyanide, which may lead to indigestion. So they learned to consume charcoal, which absorbs the cyanide and relieves indigestion. This knowledge about supplementing their diet is transmitted from mother to infant.

Also, see Activated charcoal, medicinal applications.

Smoking

Special charcoals are used in smoking the hookah (Argeeleh in Arabic or Nargeleh in Turkish). Lit coals are placed on top of foil which is placed over the tobacco bowl; through indirect heat the coals "cook" the tobacco to a temperature that does not burn it but produces smoke.

Environmental implications

Charcoal production at a sub-industrial level is one of the primary causes of deforestation in the Developing World. Charcoal production is usually illegal and nearly always unregulated. Massive forest destruction has been documented in areas such as Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it is considered to be a primary threat to the survival of the mountain gorillas.

See also

Biochar

Pyrolysis

Slash-and-char

Terra preta

Biomass briquettes

References

External links

On Charcoal

The Lump Charcoal Database - Information about lump charcoal

The River Wey and Wey Navigations Community Site—a non-commercial site of over 200,000 words all about the Wey Valley and includes a photo file on charcoal production and information relating to gunpowder manufacture at Chilworth

Catoctin Mountain Park - Charcoal and Iron Industry (U.S. National Park Service) Catoctin Mountain Park, Maryland, USA, includes interpretive features ("Charcoal Trail", etc) on the history of charcoal making in the area

Coconut Charcoal - Facts

The "Adam-retort", or ICPS (Improved Charcoal Production System)

Flash Carbonization is a pressurised highly efficient charcoal making process

A photo of traditional charcoal production in Cuba. Photo by Robert Frigault

Category:Art materials Category:Fuels Category:Carbon forms Category:Soil improvers Category:Barbeque Category:Pyrotechnic fuels Category:Biofuels Category:Solid fuels

Name	Megan Fox
Caption	Megan Fox at the George V hotel in Paris, for a promotion of , June 12, 2009
Alt	Megan Fox looking over her shoulder.
Birthname	Megan Denise Fox
Birth date	May 16, 1986
Birth place	Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, model
Yearsactive	2001–present
Spouse	Brian Austin Green (m. 2010–present)

Megan Denise Fox (born May 16, 1986) is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a recurring role on Hope and Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. In 2007, she was cast as Mikaela Banes, the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's character in the blockbuster film Transformers which became her breakout role and earned her various Teen Choice Awards nominations. Fox reprised her role in the 2009 sequel, . Later in 2009, she starred as the titular lead character in the film Jennifer's Body.

Fox is considered a sex symbol and frequently appears in men's magazine "Hot" lists. She was listed #18, #16, #2, and #5 on Maxim magazine's yearly Hot 100 list in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 respectively, while FHM readers voted her the "Sexiest Woman in the World" in 2008. She ranked number one on Moviefone's "The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25" in 2008. In 2004, Fox began dating Brian Austin Green, of Beverly Hills, 90210 fame, after reportedly having met on the set of Hope & Faith. They were involved in an on-again, off-again relationship, before finally marrying in June 2010.

Early life

Fox is of Irish, French, and Native American ancestry, and was born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to Darlene Tonachio and Franklin Fox. She was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic school for 12 years. Fox's parents divorced when she was young and she and her sister She said that the two were "very strict" and that she was not allowed to have a boyfriend She attended a dance class at the community center there and was involved in Kingston Elementary School's chorus and the Kingston Clippers swim team. At 10 years of age, after moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, Fox continued her training. When she was 13 years old, Fox began modeling after winning several awards at the 1999 American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head, South Carolina. At age 17, she tested out of school via correspondence in order to move to Los Angeles. Fox also said of high school that she was never popular and that "everyone hated me, and I was a total outcast, my friends were always guys, I have a very aggressive personality, and girls didn’t like me for that. I’ve had only one great girlfriend my whole life".

2007–present: Transformers and breakthrough

, during Midnight Madness at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.]] In 2007, Fox won the lead female role of Mikaela Banes in the 2007 live-action film Transformers, based on the toy and cartoon saga of the same name. Fox played the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's character Sam Witwicky. Fox was nominated for an MTV Movie Award in the category of "Breakthrough Performance", and was also nominated for three Teen Choice Awards, in the category of "Choice Movie Actress: Action Adventure", "Choice Movie: Breakout Female", and "Choice Movie: Liplock". Fox has signed on for two more Transformers sequels. In June 2007, Fox was cast in a minor role in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, starring alongside Jeff Bridges, Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst. She portrayed Sophie Maes, a love interest of Sydney Young (Simon Pegg). The film premiered on October 3, 2008, but was considered a box-office failure. In 2008, Fox appeared alongside Rumer Willis as the character Lost in Whore. The film centers around a group of young hopeful teenagers who have come to Hollywood in the hopes of an acting career find that the business is harder than they had ever imagined. The film was released October 20, 2008.

Fox reprised her role as Mikaela Banes in the Transformer sequel, . There was some controversy surrounding Fox's appearance while filming the sequel of Transformers when Michael Bay, the movie's director, ordered the actress to gain 10 pounds. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen premiered on June 8, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. The movie was released worldwide on June 24, 2009. Fox had her first lead role playing the title character in Jennifer's Body, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody. She played Jennifer Check, a mean-girl cheerleader possessed by a demon who begins to feed off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. The film was released on September 18, 2009, and co-stars Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody.

co-stars Josh Brolin and Michael Fassbender at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con on July 28, 2009, promoting the film.]] In April 2009, Fox began filming Jonah Hex, in which she portrayed Leila, a gun-wielding beauty and Jonah Hex's (Josh Brolin) love interest. The film was released on June 18, 2010 and co-starred Will Arnett; Fox has described her role in the film as being a cameo. In early April, 2009 Fox signed on to star as the lead female role in the upcoming 2011 film The Crossing, about a young couple who get caught up in a drug trafficking scheme during their vacation to Mexico. In March 2009, Variety reported that Fox was set to star as the lead role of Aspen Matthews in the film adaption of the comic books Fathom which she will also co-produce with Brian Austin Green. Fathom is currently in pre-production. Fox will not reprise her role as Mikaela Banes in . Fox appeared with Dominic Monaghan in the music video for Eminem and Rihanna's single "Love the Way You Lie".

Image

"Breakthrough of the Year" Awards, December 9, 2007]] During an interview with The Times, on the topic of being a role model, Fox stated: "It depends on what your idea of a role model is," and continued with, "If your idea of a role model is somebody who’s gonna preach to your kids that sex before marriage is wrong and cursing is wrong and women should be this and be that, then I’m not a role model. But if you want your girls to feel strong and intelligent and be outspoken and fight for what they think is right, then I want to be that type of role model, yeah." Fox said in the same interview, on the topic of being typecast that: "Getting typecast as what? Attractive? How bad is that?" She feels that it isn't a bad thing to be typecast in this way and considers it to be flattering. She also believes that it gives her an advantage because people will not expect her to be more than simply attractive and when she does give a good performance, people will be surprised. Fox has shown interest in portraying a character less sexualized than that of Mikaela Banes, whom she portrays in the Transformers film series.

Fox said of being a popular media topic that, though she is not on the same level as Jennifer Aniston, Britney Spears, or Lindsay Lohan, she does find it difficult and that there have been times when people have avoided being around her because they do not want to end up in the media's spotlight. "I need to behave in a way and handle myself in a way that will cause people to take me seriously," she said, "[and] you can be sexy and be intelligent and be taken seriously, or you can be sexy and you can be out at clubs every night and not be [taken seriously]" but that she has not gone "completely insane". in 2008, the list had grown to include Cosmo Girl, Paw Print, Jack (ITALY), FHM (UK), and GQ. In 2009, the list includes, USA Weekend, Esquire, Empire, Maxim, GQ (UK), Entertainment Weekly and ELLE. AOL's man-blog Asylum dubbed August 4, 2009 "A Day Without Megan Fox" with the promise that the site would not mention or feature her on this day; they asked other men's sites to copy this stance, and several (such as AskMen.com, Just a Guy Thing, and Banned in Hollywood) complied. "Listen, we love Megan," Eric Rogell of TheBachelorGuy.com told New York Daily News. "She's responsible for driving more eyeballs to our sites — just by getting photographed walking down the street in a white T-shirt — than any other celeb alive. [But] it's time to give another young actress a shot at the attention." and Coedmagazine calling the boycott a "publicity stunt" and "hypocritical", saying that they were the home of "The Megan Fox Boycott Boycott". The British newspaper The Sun declared August 4 to be "Megan Fox Day", saying that "She deserves a day dedicated to her". In response to the boycott, Fox told magazine Nylon, in a September 2009 interview, that "the media blitz" for Transformers resulted in an over-extension of her welcome in the media. "I was part of a movie that [the studio] wanted to make sure would make $700 million, so they oversaturated the media with their stars," she said. "I don’t want to have people get completely sick of me before I’ve ever even done something legitimate."

Fox has often been compared to actress Angelina Jolie, with the media dubbing her as the "next Angelina Jolie". Fox has been compared to Jolie because they each have a "tattoo collection", and status as a "built in sex-symbol". Fox commented that the comparisons indicate a lack of creativity on the part of the media, and are simply due to the dark hair and tattoos that she and Jolie have, and that both have been in action movies. There were several unconfirmed rumors that Fox was to replace Jolie in the next Lara Croft film. Fox also said of the comparisons that: "I am a brunette with tattoos, I curse and I have made mention of sex before. I joked about it which people find outrageous so they want to constantly compare that to her." Fox remarked, "I'm sure she has no idea who I am. But if I were her, I'd be like, 'Who the fuck is this little bullshit brat who was in Transformers that's going to be the next me?' I don't want to meet her. I'd be embarrassed."

Fox has eight known tattoos, including her husband's name "Brian" on her lower hip, a picture of Marilyn Monroe's face on her right forearm, and a crescent moon overlapping a five-pointed star above her right ankle. This tattoo is the only known colored tattoo that Fox has.

Personal life

Fox has been involved with actor Brian Austin Green since 2004, having first met on the set of Hope & Faith when she was 18 and he was 30. and just a few weeks later, on June 24, 2010, the two wed in a private ceremony at the Four Seasons Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. Green appeared in the SNL Digital Short "Megan's Roommate" in the Season 35 premiere episode of Saturday Night Live, which Fox hosted.

In 2009, Fox was targeted by a group of fashion-motivated criminals known as "The Bling Ring", who robbed Green's home because she was living with him.

in September, 2009.]] Fox is good friends with Jennifer Blanc, Kellan Rhude, Jennifer's Body co-star Amanda Seyfried, Michael Biehn and Transformers co-star Shia LaBeouf. She is a fan of comic books, anime, and video games. Fox's favorite artist is Michael Turner whose Fathom comic she describes as a longtime obsession. Fox has two dogs, including a Pomeranian named after Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious.

In September 2008, Fox alluded to being bisexual; in an interview with GQ magazine, she said that when she was 18 years old she fell in love with and sought to establish a relationship with a female stripper. She used this experience to illustrate her belief that "all humans are born with the ability to be attracted to both sexes" and additionally showed interest in Olivia Wilde. In May 2009, she confirmed her bisexuality. In the June 2009 issue of ELLE, however, she stated that she somewhat distorted the events of her relationship with the stripper, saying she has given certain male writers "an amped-up version" of her past. "They’re boys; they’re easily toyed with," she said. "I tell stories and have them eating out of my hand. Not all of it is true. In fact, most of it is bullshit." Fox said, "I never said she was my girlfriend! I just said that I loved her, and I did love her. The real story is more sobering. It’s not a sexy, fun-time, fantasy story. But that’s not the story you tell GQ." and has additionally been open about her insecurities and self-harming, acknowledging that she has low self-esteem:

...I don't want to elaborate. I would never call myself a cutter. Girls go through different phases when they're growing up, when they're miserable and do different things, whether it's an eating disorder or they dabble in cutting. I'm really insecure about everything. I see what I look like, but there are things that I like and things that I dislike. My hair is good. The color of my eyes is good, obviously. I'm too short. But overall, I'm not super excited about the whole thing. I never think I'm worthy of anything... I have a sick feeling of being mocked all the time. I have a lot of self-loathing. Self-loathing doesn't keep me from being happy. But that doesn't mean I don't struggle. I am very vulnerable. But I can be aggressive, hurtful, domineering and selfish, too. I'm emotionally unpredictable and all over the place. I'm a control freak.

Fox has a fear of flying; she said she developed this about the time she turned 20. She has had to come up with ways to deal with it in order to avoid having panic attacks when getting onto a plane, most notably by listening to Britney Spears songs. In addition, she has expressed a distrust of "all boys-slash-men" in general, as well as women in the industry. "I just don’t like them or trust them," stated Fox of her usual feeling toward males.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Films |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2001 | Holiday in the Sun | Brianna Wallace | Direct-to-video film |- | 2003 | Bad Boys II | Bikini Kid in Under Waterfall | Uncredited |- | 2004 | Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen | Carla Santini | |- | 2004 | Crimes of Fashion | Candace | Television film |- | 2007 | Transformers | Mikaela Banes | |- | 2008 | How to Lose Friends & Alienate People | Sophie Maes | |- | 2008 | Whore | Lost | |- | 2009 | | Mikaela Banes | |- | 2009 | Jennifer's Body | Jennifer Check | |- | 2010 | Jonah Hex | Lilah | |- | 2011 | Passion Play | Lily | |- | 2012 | Friends with Kids | | Filming |}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 2002–2003 | Ocean Ave. | Ione Starr | Lead role |- | 2003 | What I Like About You | Shannon | "Like a Virgin (Kinda)" (Season 2, Episode 5) |- | 2004 | Two and a Half Men | Prudence | "Camel Filters and Pheromones" (Season 1, Episode 12) |- | 2004 | The Help | Cassandra Ridgeway | "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1)"Ollie Shares" (Season 1, Episode 2)"Dwyane Gets a Cold" (Season 1, Episode 5) |- | 2004–2006 | Hope & Faith | Sydney Shanowski | Recurring role |}

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Megan Fox at Her Sexiest – slideshow by Life magazine

Megan Fox at FHM

Category:1986 births Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Florida Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:American child actors Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Native American descent Category:Bisexual actors Category:LGBT people from the United States Category:Living people Category:Native American actors Category:People from Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Name	Charcoal Filter
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Genre	Rock, pop
Years active	1996 - 2007
Label	Powerpop Records.com (1999 - 2000) Columbia Music Entertainment (2001 - 2003) Warner Music Japan (2003 - 2004) Nippon Crown (2006 - 2007)
Url	Official Website
Current members	Takahiro Konagawa, Yuzo Otsuka, Yuki Yasui, Shintaro Takano

For the method of water and air purification, see Carbon filtering.

, also known as Charcofil or to their fans, is a Japanese male rock band. Its members are Takahiro Konagawa, Yuzo Otsuka, Yuki Yasui, and Shintaro Takano. They met each other and formed Charcoal Filter in their high school days. After graduation from high school, they came out with the song "I start again" in 1999. They are known for creating the song "Tightrope", used as the ending theme of the anime series Gensōmaden Saiyūki, back in 2000. From 2002 to 2004 they were produced by Seiji Kameda. They disbanded in 2007.

History

In 1995 Konagawa, Yasui and Takano formed a band. The next year they incorporated Otsuka as a vocalist, and named the band Charcoal Filter. At first they played Green Day’s songs, which they like, and then they began to play their own songs composed by themselves.

In early 1999 they recorded several songs in New York for debut. In September of the same year the indie album Gimme a light was released. Two months later they came out with the debut single I start again. The next year they created the song Tightrope, used as the ending theme of the anime series Gensōmaden Saiyūki.

The year 2002 the turning point in their career came. The eighth single Brand-New Myself ~Boku ni Dekiru Koto was a hit. Following this single, the album MADE IN Hi-High took the sixth place in weekly Oricon chart, as obtained them a reputation.

Members

Takahiro Konagawa (小名川高弘, B. November 30, 1979); Guitars, Background Vocals, and the Leader

Yuzo Otsuka (大塚雄三, B. August 27, 1979); Vocals and Guitars

Yuki Yasui (安井佑輝, B. March 5, 1980); Bass Guitars and Background Vocals

Shintaro Takano (高野真太郎, B. October 20, 1979); Drums and Background Vocals

Discography

Singles

I start again

: November 1, 1999 # I start again # Let’s go # Nineteen

Life goes on

: February 2, 2000 # Life goes on # Single word # Snow drive

Don’t miss it

: May 17, 2000 # Don’t miss it # Turning point

Tightrope

: June 21, 2000 # Tightrope # Tightrope -Medieval version- # Tightrope -Instrumental version-

Kizuna (絆, Bound of Friendship)

: March 9, 2001 (In-Kyūshū-Limited Single) # Kizuna (絆, Bound of Friendship) # Kizuna -Instrumental- (絆 -Instrumental-, Bound of Friendship -Instrumental-) # The Go-Ahead Man

Hajikeyō (はじけよう, Let’s Have Fun!)

: June 1, 2001 # Hajikeyō (はじけよう, Let’s Have Fun!) # Jumpin’ high # Libido (リビドー)

Kodokuna Taiyō (孤独な太陽, A Lonely Sun)

: September 26, 2001 # Kodokuna Taiyō (孤独な太陽, A Lonely Sun) # Communication # La La (ララ)

Sotsugyō (卒業, Graduation)

: January 30, 2002 # Sotsugyō (卒業, Graduation) # Romantic (ロマンチック) # Mother Blues

Brand-New Myself ~Boku ni Dekiru Koto (Brand-New Myself ~僕にできること, Brand-New Myself ~What I Can Do)

: May 1, 2002 # Brand-New Myself ~Boku ni Dekiru Koto (Brand-New Myself ~僕にできること, Brand-New Myself ~What I Can Do) # 2,000 Light Years Away # Brand-New Myself ~Boku ni Dekiru Koto (instrumental) (Brand-New Myself ~僕にできること (instrumental), Brand-New Myself ~What I Can Do (instrumental))

White winter song

: December 11, 2002 # White winter song # WOW WOW PARADISE (WOW WOW パラダイス) # Sotsugyō ~Okuru Koto Version~ (卒業 ~贈ることバージョン~, Graduation ~Giving Word Version~) # White winter song ~Instrumental~

Yasashisa Licence / BY MY SIDE (やさしさライセンス, Licence of a Tenderness / BY MY SIDE)

: May 21, 2003 # Yasashisa Licence (やさしさライセンス, Licence of a Tenderness) # BY MY SIDE # Yasashisa Licence -Instrumental- (やさしさライセンス -Instrumental-, Licence of a Tenderness -Instrumental-) # BY MY SIDE -Instrumental-

Niji (虹, Rainbow)

: August 6, 2003 # Niji (虹, Rainbow) # Beautiful Sandy (ビューティフルサンディー) # Niji -Instrumental- (虹 -Instrumental-, Rainbow -Instrumental-) # Beautiful Sandy -Instrumental- (ビューティフルサンディー -Instrumental-)

one Days (A Small Part of My Days)

: July 22, 2004 # one Days (A Small Part of My Days) # Kiss on the beach # one Days -Instrumental- (A Small Part of My Days -Instrumental-) # Kiss on the beach -Instrumental- : Hidden Track: Kane ga Nai (金がない, I Have No Money)

Hitori ja Totemo Aruke nai Sekai no Ue de (一人じゃとても歩けない世界の上で, On the World that I Can’t Possibly Walk Alone)

: June 7, 2006 # Hitori ja Totemo Aruke nai Sekai no Ue de (一人じゃとても歩けない世界の上で, On the World that I Can’t Possibly Walk Alone) # Motto (もっと, More) # Arigatō (ありがとう, Thank you)

Albums

Gimme a light September 17, 1999 Indie album (Limited to 1,000 copies only) # Tune up # Kickin’ it # Clap # It’s gonna be O.K. # Follow up your own mind # Empty Box # Song on the radio # 19

Spiky June 21, 2000 # Snow drive # Don’t miss it (Album Mix) # Tightrope (Album Version) # My red boots # Ideal # D’d # Life goes on (Album Mix) # Spiky # Single word # Turning point # Kick up myself # Time passed by # Say what you say # Cultural blind # I start again

PANIC POP November 1, 2001 # Hajikeyō (はじけよう, Let’s Have Fun!) # PANIC POP # I wish on my fist # Communication # Yoake no Mukō (夜明けの向こう, Over the Dawn) # Tegami (Acoustic Version) (手紙 (Acoustic Version), Letter (Acoustic Version)) # Kodokuna Taiyō (Album Mix) (孤独な太陽 (Album Mix), A Lonely Sun (Album Mix)) # Hitori Kakeochi (ひとり駆け落ち, Eloping Alone) # Bring Out # Asu wa Dotchida (明日はどっちだ, Where is Tomorrow?) # 11 nights a week # Runner (ランナー) # Sayonara (サヨナラ, Good-by)

MADE IN Hi-High September 4, 2002 # Music # Liberty # Kazematic (Wind Town) # Brand-New Myself # Lonely holiday # Seeds of future # Happy hungry days # Nichijō (日常, Daily Life)

CBEST + Flying Hi-High July 9, 2003 Best album # Yasashisa Licence ~Mitsuketa ver.~ (やさしさライセンス ~見つけたver.~, Licence of a Tenderness ~Found ver.~) # Asu wa Dotchida (明日はどっちだ, Where is Tomorrow?) # WOW WOW PARADISE (WOW WOW パラダイス) # Kodokuna Taiyō (孤独な太陽, A Lonely Sun) # Communication # Jumpin’ high # Sotsugyō (卒業, Graduation) # Nichijō (日常, Daily Life) # Hajikeyō (はじけよう, Let’s Have Fun!) # Happy hungry days # Hitori Kakeochi (ひとり駆け落ち, Eloping Alone) # Brand-New Myself ~Boku ni Dekiru Koto (Brand-New Myself ~僕にできること, Brand-New Myself ~What I Can Do) # White winter song # Liberty # Libido (リビドー) # Romantic (ロマンチック) # someday somewhere # Star Dash (スターダッシュ)

HAPPY SET September 25, 2003 # Niji (虹, Rainbow) # Nana port (7port) # Ame ga Agareba Natsu ga Hajimaru (雨が上がれば夏が始まる, When the Rain Stops, Summer Starts) # Yasashisa Licence (やさしさライセンス, Licence of a Tenderness) # Yellow Cabriolet (イエローキャブリオーレ) # My girl # Satsuki (皐月, May) # Demo Tape (Kari) (デモテープ (仮), Demo Tape (Interim Title))

CHARCOAL FILTER September 23, 2004 # Party on! # Ukiyo no Hana (浮き世の花, Flower in this World) # one Days (A Small Part of My Days) # Cage # Panorama (パノラマ) # Koke to Ratai (コケトラタイ, Moss and Naked Body) # Lover Lover # Radio Motown # Yume no Soba ni Aru Sekai de (夢のそばにある世界で, At the World near a Dream) # Squash (スカッシュ) # Sayonara Boku wa (さよなら僕は, Good-by, and I am...) # GROOVIN’ SUNRISE # Morning Glow # Puka Puka (プカプカ, Puffing Away)

Gimme a light 2 May 11, 2005 Indie album (Limited to 5,000 copies only) # Tune up featuring Annie # a party song # Workin’ Dog after work # Place # Honey Money # Love # music slave

Kokoro no Kita Michi (心の来た道, The Way My Soul has Come by) February 8, 2006 # Sekai no Hate (世界の果て, The World’s End) # Kokoro no Kita Michi (心の来た道, The Way My Soul has Come by) # Ai o Baramaite (愛をばらまいて, Giving Much Love) # Music Monster # Spider (スパイダー) # Peace People

Everything you know is wrong January 10, 2007 # Asu e Hanate (明日へ放て, Release it towards Tomorrow) # everlasting # society # Small Wonderland (スモールワンダーランド) # Futatsu Boshi (ふたつ星, A Pair of Stars) # aurora # sunnyday holiday # Muffin Song (マフィンソング) # Ashita to yū Na no Kinō ni Sayonara (明日という名の昨日にさよなら, Good-by to Yesterday by the Name of Tomorrow) # Yell (エール) # Hitori ja Totemo Aruke nai Sekai no Ue de (一人じゃとても歩けない世界の上で, On the World that I Can’t Possibly Walk Alone)

DVDs

CHARCOAL FILTER MEN SOUL

: January 1, 2003

Waku Waku Charcoal Fair 2003 o Charcoal Filter to Miru DVD

: わくわくチャコールフェア2003をチャコールフィルターと観るDVD : Let’s See The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2003 with Charcoal Filter! : February 21, 2004

Waku Waku Charcoal Fair 2004 o Charcoal Filter to You DVD

: わくわくチャコールフェア2004をチャコールフィルターと酔うDVD : Let’s Enjoy The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2004 with Charcoal Filter! : March 18, 2005

5th Anniversary Special Live Party at Shibuya O-East

: March 18, 2005

Waku Waku Charcoal Fair 2005

: わくわくチャコールフェア2005 : The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2005 : March 18, 2006

"2006 Kokoro no Yuku Michi" Tour Final 2006.5.27 SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO

: 「2006 心の行く道」ツアーファイナル 2006.5.27 SHIBUYA CLUB QUATTRO : The Way of My Soul 2006 Tour Final on May 27, 2006 at Shibuya Club Quattro : July 15, 2006

Concert history

Charcoal Filter often give a live concert. They have played all Japanese prefectures. Their performance is appreciated by their own generation. Also, Konagawa and Otsuka appeared at well-known Japanese musical event Dream Power John Lennon Super Live back in 2003.

Spiky night (July - August, 2000)

Spread out GIG 20-21 (November, 2000 - January, 2001)

"弾" 前哨戦 in ライヴハウス (Precedent Tour to Dan, April, 2001)

Spark out GIG "弾" (Spark out GIG Dan, June, 2001)

PANIC POP TOUR (January, 2002)

B.N.M. 02 (July - August, 2002)

Made in TOUR & TOUR the Hi-High (November, 2002)

スプリンターツアー (Sprinter Tour, February - April, 2003)

わくわくチャコールフェア2003 (The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2003, April, 2003)

Hallin’ Love (July - August, 2003)

KINGDOM後夜祭 (Final Festival of Kingdom, November, 2003)

スプリンターツアー2 ~Happy Set~ (Sprinter Tour 2 ~Happy Set~, December, 2003 - March, 2004)

わくわくチャコールフェア2004 (The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2004, April, 2004)

スプリンターツアー2 ファイナル 47都道府県ワンマン制覇記念ライヴ (Sprinter Tour 2 Final Memorial Concert of Touring All Around Japan, April, 2004)

Re: HOME (October, 2004)

5th Anniversary Special Live Party (October, 2004)

ジュポ～ンツアー (Jupōn Tour, December, 2004)

Japan tour, 47 (March - July, 2005)

わくわくチャコールフェア2005 (The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2005, April, 2005)

Gimme a night (June - August, 2005)

Gimme a 2006 The 忘年会 (Gimme a 2006 The Year-End Party, December, 2005)

わくわくチャコールフェア2006 (The Exciting Charcoal Fair 2006, April, 2006)

2006 心の行く道 (The Way of My Soul 2006, May, 2006)

External links

Official Web Sites Official Web Site by Nippon Crown Official Web Site of Daiji Music Serial Essay by Konagawa Serial Essay by Otsuka Serial Essay by Yasui & Takano

Private Web Sites BURNING

Category:Japanese musical groups