Tin () is a chemical element with the symbol Sn (for ) and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4. Tin is the 49th most abundant element and has, with 10 stable isotopes, the largest number of stable isotopes in the periodic table. Tin is obtained chiefly from the mineral cassiterite, where it occurs as tin dioxide, SnO₂.

This silvery, malleable poor metal is not easily oxidized in air and is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion. The first alloy, used in large scale since 3000 BC, was bronze, an alloy of tin and copper. After 600 BC pure metallic tin was produced. Pewter, which is an alloy of 85% to 90% tin with the remainder commonly consisting of copper, antimony and lead, was used for flatware from the Bronze Age until the 20th century. In modern times tin is used in many alloys, most notably tin/lead soft solders, typically containing 60% or more of tin. Another large application for tin is corrosion-resistant tin plating of steel. Because of its low toxicity, tin-plated metal is also used for food packaging, giving the name to tin cans, which are made mostly of steel.

Characteristics

Physical properties

Tin is a malleable, ductile and highly crystalline silvery-white metal. When a bar of tin is bent, a crackling sound known as the tin cry can be heard due to the twinning of the crystals. Tin melts at a low temperature of about 232 °C, which is further reduced to 117 °C for 11-nm particles.

β-tin (the metallic form, or white tin), which is stable at and above room temperature, is malleable. In contrast, α-tin (nonmetallic form, or gray tin), which is stable below 13.2 °C, is brittle. α-tin has a diamond cubic crystal structure, similar to diamond, silicon or germanium. α-tin has no metallic properties at all because its atoms form a covalent structure where electrons cannot move freely. It is a dull-gray powdery material with no common uses, other than a few specialized semiconductor applications. These two allotropes, α-tin and β-tin, are more commonly known as ''gray tin'' and ''white tin'', respectively. Two more allotropes, γ and σ, exist at temperatures above 161 °C and pressures above several GPa. Although the α-β transformation temperature is nominally 13.2 °C, impurities (e.g. Al, Zn, etc.) lower the transition temperature well below 0 °C, and upon addition of Sb or Bi the transformation may not occur at all, increasing the durability of the tin.

Commercial grades of tin (99.8%) resist transformation because of the inhibiting effect of the small amounts of bismuth, antimony, lead and silver present as impurities. Alloying elements such as copper, antimony, bismuth, cadmium and silver increase its hardness. Tin tends rather easily to form hard, brittle intermetallic phases, which are often undesirable. It does not form wide solid solution ranges in other metals in general, and there are few elements that have appreciable solid solubility in tin. Simple eutectic systems, however, occur with bismuth, gallium, lead, thallium and zinc.

Tin becomes a superconductor below 3.72 K. In fact, tin was one of the first superconductors to be studied; the Meissner effect, one of the characteristic features of superconductors, was first discovered in superconducting tin crystals.

Chemical properties

Tin resists corrosion from water but can be attacked by acids and alkalis. Tin can be highly polished and is used as a protective coat for other metals. Tin acts as a catalyst when oxygen is in solution and helps accelerate chemical attack.

Isotopes

Tin is the element with the greatest number of stable isotopes, ten; these include all those with atomic masses between 112 and 124, with the exception of 113, 121 and 123. Of these, the most abundant ones are ¹²⁰Sn (at almost a third of all tin), ¹¹⁸Sn, and ¹¹⁶Sn, while the least abundant one is ¹¹⁵Sn. The isotopes possessing even atomic numbers have no nuclear spin while the odd ones have a spin of +1/2. Tin, with its three common isotopes ¹¹⁵Sn, ¹¹⁷Sn and ¹¹⁹Sn, is among the easiest elements to detect and analyze by NMR spectroscopy, and its chemical shifts are referenced against .

This large number of stable isotopes is thought to be a direct result of tin possessing an atomic number of 50, which is a "magic number" in nuclear physics. There are 28 additional unstable isotopes that are known, encompassing all the remaining ones with atomic masses between 99 and 137. Aside from ¹²⁶Sn, which has a half-life of 230,000 years, all the radioactive isotopes have a half-life of less than a year. The radioactive ¹⁰⁰Sn is one of the few nuclides possessing a "doubly magic" nucleus and was discovered relatively recently, in 1994. Another 30 metastable isomers have been characterized for isotopes between 111 and 131, the most stable of which being ^121mSn, with a half-life of 43.9 years.

Etymology

The English word 'tin' is Germanic; related words are found in the other Germanic languages—German ''zinn'', Swedish ''tenn'', ''etc.''—but not in other branches of Indo-European except by borrowing (''e.g.'' Irish ''tinne''). Its origin is unknown.

The Latin name ''stannum'' originally meant an alloy of silver and lead, and came to mean 'tin' in the 4th century BCE—the earlier Latin word for it was ''plumbum candidum'' 'white lead'. ''Stannum'' apparently came from an earlier ''stāgnum'' (meaning the same thing), the origin of the Romance and Celtic terms for 'tin'. The origin of ''stannum''/''stāgnum'' is unknown; it may be pre-Indo-European. The ''Meyers Konversationslexikon'' speculates on the contrary that ''stannum'' is derived from Cornish ''stean'', and is proof that Cornwall in the first centuries AD was the main source of tin.

History

Antiquity

Tin extraction and use can be dated to the beginnings of the Bronze Age around 3000 BC, when it was observed that copper objects formed of polymetallic ores with different metal contents had different physical properties. The earliest bronze objects had tin or arsenic content of less than 2% and are therefore believed to be the result of unintentional alloying due to trace metal content in the copper ore It was soon discovered that the addition of tin or arsenic to copper increased its hardness and made casting much easier, which revolutionized metal working techniques and brought humanity from the Copper Age or Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age around 3000 BC. Early tin exploitation appears to have been centered on placer deposits of cassiterite.

The first evidence of tin use for making bronze appears in the Near East and the Balkans around 3000 BC. It is still unclear as to where the earliest tin was mined as tin deposits are very rare and evidence of early mining is scarce. Europe's earliest mining district appears to be located in Erzgebirge, on the border between Germany and Czech Republic and is dated to 2500 BC. From there tin was traded north to the Baltic Sea and south to the Mediterranean following the Amber Road trading route. Tin mining knowledge spread to other European tin mining districts from Erzgebirge and evidence of tin mining begins to appear in Brittany, Devon and Cornwall, and in the Iberian Peninsula around 2000 BC. These deposits saw greater exploitation when they fell under Roman control between the third century BC and the first century AD. Demand for tin created a large and thriving network amongst Mediterranean cultures of Classical times. By the Medieval period, Iberia's and Germany's deposits lost importance and were largely forgotten while Devon and Cornwall began dominating the European tin market.

In the Far East, the tin belt stretching from Yunnan province in China to the Malaysian Peninsula began being exploited sometime between the third and second millennium BC. The deposits in Yunnan province were not mined until around 700 BC, but by the Han Dynasty had become the main source of tin in China according to historical texts of the Han, Jin, Tang, and Song dynasties.

Other regions of the world developed tin mining industries at a much later date. In Africa, the Bantu culture extracted, smelted and exported tin between the 11th and 15th centuries AD, in the Americas tin exploitation began around 1000 AD, and in Australia it began with the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century.

Modern times

During the Middle Ages, and again in the early 19th century, Cornwall was the major tin producer. This changed after large amounts of tin were found in the Bolivian tin belt and the east Asian tin belt, stretching from China through Thailand and Laos to Malaya and Indonesia. Tasmania also hosts deposits of historical importance, most notably Mount Bischoff and Renison Bell.

In 1931 the tin producers founded the International Tin Committee, followed in 1956 by the International Tin Council, an institution to control the tin market. After the collapse of the market in October 1985 the price for tin nearly halved.

Tin foil was once a common wrapping material for foods and drugs; replaced in the early 20th century by the use of aluminium foil, which is now commonly referred to as ''tin foil''. Hence one use of the slang term "tinnie" or "tinny" for a small pipe for use of a drug such as cannabis or for a can of beer. Today, the word "tin" is often improperly used as a generic term for any silvery metal that comes in sheets. Most everyday materials that are commonly called "tin", such as aluminium foil, beverage cans, corrugated building sheathing and tin cans, are actually made of steel or aluminium, although tin cans (tinned cans) do contain a thin coating of tin to inhibit rust. Likewise, so-called "tin toys" are usually made of steel, and may have a coating of tin to inhibit rust. The original Ford Model T was known colloquially as the "Tin Lizzy".

Compounds and Chemistry

In the great majority of its compounds, tin has the oxidation state II or IV.

Inorganic compounds

Halide compounds are known for both oxidation states. For Sn(IV), all four halides are well known: SnF₄, SnCl₄, SnBr₄, and SnI₄. The three heavier members are volatile molecular compounds, whereas the tetrafluoride is polymeric. All four halides are known for Sn(II) also: SnF₂, SnCl₂, SnBr₂, and SnI₂. All are polymeric solids. Of these eight compounds, only the iodides are coloured.

Tin(II) chloride (also known as stannous chloride) is the most important tin halide in a commercial sense. Illustrating the routes to such compounds, chlorine reacts with tin metal to give SnCl₄ whereas the reaction of hydrochloric acid and tin gives SnCl₂ and hydrogen gas. Alternatively SnCl₄ and Sn combine to stannous chloride via a process called comproportionation: :SnCl₄ + Sn → 2 SnCl₂

Tin can form many oxides, sulfides, and other chalcogenide derivatives. The dioxide SnO₂ (cassiterite) forms when tin is heated in the presence of air. SnO₂ is amphoteric, which means that it dissolves in both acidic and basic solutions. There are also stannates with the structure [Sn(OH)₆]²⁻, like K₂[Sn(OH)₆], although the free stannic acid H₂[Sn(OH)₆] is unknown. The sulfides of tin exist in both the +2 and +4 oxidation states: tin(II) sulfide and tin(IV) sulfide (Mosaic gold).

Hydrides

Stannane (SnH₄), where tin is in the +4 oxidation state, is unstable. Organotin hydrides are however well known, e.g. tributyltin hydride. These compound release transient tributyl tin radicals, rare examples of compounds of tin(III).

Organotin compounds

Organotin compounds, sometimes called stannanes, are chemical compounds with tin-carbon bonds. Of the compounds of tin, the organic derivatives are the most useful commercially. Some organotin compounds are highly toxic and have been used as biocides. The first organotin compound to be reported was diethyltin diiodide ((C₂H₅)₂SnI₂), reported by Edward Frankland in 1849.

Most organotin compounds are colorless liquids or solids that are stable to air and water. They adopt tetrahedral geometry. Tetraalkyl- and tetraaryltin compounds can be prepared using Grignard reagents: : + 4 RMgBr → + 4 MgBrCl The mixed halide-alkyls, which are more common and more important commercially than the tetraorgano derivatives, are prepared by redistribution reactions: : + → 2 SnCl₂R₂

Divalent organotin compounds are uncommon, although more common than related divalent organogermanium and organosilicon compounds. The greater stabilization enjoyed by Sn(II) is attributed to the "inert pair effect". Organotin(II) compounds include both stannylenes (formula: R₂Sn, as seen for singlet carbenes) and distannylenes (R₄Sn₂), which are roughly equivalent to alkenes. Both classes exhibit unusual reactions.

Occurrence

Tin is generated via the long S-process in low-medium mass stars (0.6 -> 10 solar masses). It arises via beta decay of heavy isotopes of indium.

Tin is the 49th most abundant element in the Earth's crust, representing 2 ppm compared with 75 ppm for zinc, 50 ppm for copper, and 14 ppm for lead.

Tin does not occur as the native element but must be extracted from various ores. Cassiterite (SnO₂) is the only commercially important source of tin, although small quantities of tin are recovered from complex sulfides such as stannite, cylindrite, franckeite, canfieldite, and teallite. Minerals with tin are almost always associated with granite rock, usually at a level of 1% tin oxide content.

Because of the higher specific gravity of tin dioxide, about 80% of mined tin is from secondary deposits found downstream from the primary lodes. Tin is often recovered from granules washed downstream in the past and deposited in valleys or under sea. The most economical ways of mining tin are through dredging, hydraulic methods or open cast mining. Most of the world's tin is produced from placer deposits, which may contain as little as 0.015% tin.

It was estimated in January 2008 that there were 6.1 million tons of economically recoverable primary reserves, from a known base reserve of 11 million tons. Below are listed the nations with the largest known reserves.

Estimates of tin production have historically varied with the dynamics of economic feasibility and the development of mining technologies, but it is estimated that, at current consumption rates and technologies, the Earth will run out of tin that can be mined in 40 years. However Lester Brown has suggested tin could run out within 20 years based on an extremely conservative extrapolation of 2% growth per year.

Secondary, or scrap, tin is also an important source of the metal. The recovery of tin through secondary production, or recycling of scrap tin, is increasing rapidly. Whereas the United States has neither mined since 1993 nor smelted tin since 1989, it was the largest secondary producer, recycling nearly 14,000 tons in 2006.

New deposits are reported to be in southern Mongolia,

+World tin mine reserves and reserve base in tons
!Country	Reserves
	1,700,000	3,500,000
	1,000,000	1,200,000
	710,000	1,000,000
	800,000	900,000
	540,000	2,500,000
	450,000	900,000
	300,000	350,000
	170,000	250,000
	150,000	300,000
Other	180,000	200,000

+Estimated economically recoverable world tin reserves	!Year	!million tons
1965	4,265
1970	3,930
1975	9,060
1980	9,100
1985	3,060
1990	7,100
2008	6,100

Production

Tin is produced by reducing the ore with carbon in a reverberatory furnace.

Mining and smelting

In 2006, total worldwide tin mine production was 321,000 tons, and smelter production was 340,000 tons. From its production level of 186,300 tons in 1991, around where it had hovered for the previous decades, production of tin increased 89% to 351,800 tons in 2005. Most of the increase came from China and Indonesia, with the largest spike in 2004–2005, when it increased 23%. While in the 1970s Malaysia was the largest producer, with around a third of world production, it has steadily fallen, and now remains a major smelter and market center. In 2007, the People's Republic of China was the largest producer of tin, where the tin deposits are concentrated in the southeast Yunnan tin belt, with 43% of the world's share, followed by Indonesia, with an almost equal share, and Peru at a distant third, reports the USGS.

The table below shows the countries with the largest mine production and the largest smelter output.

+Mine and smelter production (tons), 2006
!Country	Mine production
Indonesia	117,500	80,933
China	114,300	129,400
Peru	38,470	40,495
Bolivia	17,669	13,500
Thailand	225	27,540
Malaysia	2,398	23,000
Belgium	0	8,000
Russia	5,000	5,500
Democratic Republic of Congo	Congo-Kinshasa ('08)	15,000	0

After the discovery of tin in what is now Bisie, North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2002, illegal production has increased there to around 15,000 tons. This is largely fueling the ongoing and recent conflicts there, as well as affecting international markets.

Industry

The ten largest companies produced most of world's tin in 2007. It is not clear which of these companies include tin smelted from the mine at Bisie, Congo-Kinshasa, which is controlled by a renegade militia and produces 15,000 tons. Most of the world's tin is traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME), from 8 countries, under 17 brands.

Polity

+Largest tin mining companies by production in tons
!Company	|	2006	2007	%Change
Yunnan Tin	China	52,339	61,129
PT Timah	Indonesia	44,689	58,325
Minsur	Peru	40,977	35,940
Malay	China	52,339	61,129
Malaysia Smelting Corp	Malaysia	22,850	25,471
Thaisarco	Thailand	27,828	19,826
Yunnan Chengfeng	China	21,765	18,000
Liuzhou China Tin	China	13,499	13,193
EM Vinto	Bolivia	11,804	9,448
Gold Bell Group	China	4,696	8,000

Prices of tin were at $11,900 per ton as of Nov 24, 2008. Prices reached an all-time high of nearly $25,000 per ton in May 2008, largely because of the effect of the decrease of tin production from Indonesia, and have been volatile because of reliance from mining in Congo-Kinshasa.

Applications

In 2006, about half of tin produced was used in solder. The rest was divided between tin plating, tin chemicals, brass and bronze, and niche uses.

Solder

Tin has long been used as a solder in the form of an alloy with lead, tin accounting for 5 to 70% w/w. Tin forms a eutectic mixture with lead containing 63% tin and 37% lead. Such solders are primarily used for solders for joining pipes or electric circuits. Since the European Union Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEED) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) came into effect on 1 July 2006, the use of lead in such alloys has decreased. Replacing lead has many problems, including a higher melting point, and the formation of tin whiskers causing electrical problems. Replacement alloys are rapidly being found, however.

Tin plating

Tin bonds readily to iron and is used for coating lead or zinc and steel to prevent corrosion. Tin-plated steel containers are widely used for food preservation, and this forms a large part of the market for metallic tin. A tinplate canister for preserving food was first manufactured in London in 1812. Speakers of British English call them "tins", while speakers of American English call them "cans" or "tin cans". One thus-derived use of the slang term "tinnie" or "tinny" means "can of beer". The tin whistle is so called because it was first mass-produced in tin-plated steel.

Specialized alloys

Tin in combination with other elements forms a wide variety of useful alloys. Tin is most commonly alloyed with copper. Pewter is 85–99% tin; Babbitt metal has a high percentage of tin as well. Bronze is mostly copper (12% tin), while addition of phosphorus gives phosphor bronze. Bell metal is also a copper-tin alloy, containing 22% tin. Tin has also sometimes been used in coinage; for example, it once formed a single figure percentage of the American and Canadian pennies. Because copper is often the major metal in such coins, and zinc is sometimes present as well, these could technically be called bronze and/or brass alloys.

The niobium-tin compound Nb₃Sn is commercially used as wires for superconducting magnets, due to the material's high critical temperature (18 K) and critical magnetic field (25 T). A superconducting magnet weighing only a couple of kilograms is capable of producing magnetic fields comparable to a conventional electromagnet weighing tons.

A addition of a few percent tin is commonly used in zirconium alloys for the cladding of nuclear fuel.

Illustrative niche applications

Punched tin

Punched tin, also called pierced tin, is an artisan technique originating in central Europe for creating housewares that are both functional and decorative. Decorative piercing designs exist in a wide variety, based on geography or the artisan's personal creations. Punched tin lanterns are the most common application of this artisan technique. The light of a candle shining through the pierced design creates a decorative light pattern in the room where it sits. Punched tin lanterns and other punched tin articles were created in the New World from the earliest European settlement. A well-known example is the Revere type lantern, named after Paul Revere.

Before the modern era, in some areas of the Alps, a goat or sheep's horn would be sharpened and a tin panel would be punched out using the alphabet and numbers from one to nine. This learning tool was known appropriately as "the horn". Modern reproductions are decorated with such motifs as hearts and tulips.

In America, pie safes and food safes came into use in the days before refrigeration. These were wooden cupboards of various styles and sizes - either floor standing or hanging cupboards meant to discourage vermin and insects and to keep dust from perishable foodstuffs. These cabinets had tinplate inserts in the doors and sometimes in the sides, punched out by the homeowner, cabinetmaker or a tinsmith in varying designs to allow for air circulation. Modern reproductions of these articles remain popular in North America.

Float glass production

Window glass is most often made by floating molten glass on top of molten tin (creating float glass) in order to produce a flat surface. This is called the "Pilkington process".

Stannous fluoride in cavity prevention

Tin(II) fluoride is added to some dental care products as stannous fluoride (SnF₂). Tin(II) fluoride can be mixed with calcium abrasives while the more common sodium fluoride gradually becomes biologically inactive combined with calcium compounds. It has also been shown to be more effective than sodium fluoride in controlling gingivitis.

Organ pipes

Most metal pipes in a pipe organ are made of varying amounts of a tin/lead alloy, with 50%/50% being the most common. The amount of tin in the pipe defines the pipe's tone, since tin is the most tonally resonant of all metals. When a tin/lead alloy cools, the lead cools slightly faster and produces a mottled or spotted effect. This metal alloy is referred to as spotted metal.

Organotin compounds

Of all the chemical compounds of tin, the organotin compounds are most heavily used. Worldwide industrial production probably exceeds 50,000 tonnes.

PVC stabilizers

The major commercial application of organotin compounds is in the stabilization of PVC plastics. In the absence of such stabilizers, PVC would otherwise rapidly degrade under heat, light, and atmospheric oxygen, to give discolored, brittle products. Tin scavenges labile chloride ions (Cl^-), which would otherwise initiate loss of HCl from the plastic material. Typical tin compounds are carboxylic acid derivatives of dibutyltin dichloride, such as the dilaurate.

Biocides

Organotin compounds can have a relatively high toxicity, which is both advantageous and problematic. They have been used for their biocidal effects in/as fungicides, pesticides, algaecides, wood preservatives, and antifouling agents. Tributyltin oxide is used as a wood preservative. Tributyltin was used as additive for ship paint to prevent growth of marine organisms on ships, with use declining after organotin compounds were recognized as persistent organic pollutants with an extremely high toxicity for some marine organisms, for example the dog whelk. The EU banned the use of organotin compounds in 2003, while concerns over the toxicity of these compounds to marine life and their effects on the reproduction and growth of some marine species, (some reports describe biological effects to marine life at a concentration of 1 nanogram per liter) have led to a worldwide ban by the International Maritime Organization. Many nations now restrict the use of organotin compounds to vessels over 25 meters long.

Organic chemistry

Some tin reagents are useful in organic chemistry. In the largest application, stannous chloride is a common reducing agent for the conversion of nitro and oxime groups to amines. The Stille reaction couples organotin compounds with organic halides or pseudohalides.

Precautions

Cases of poisoning from tin metal, its oxides, and its salts are "almost unknown". On the other hand certain organotin compounds are almost as toxic as cyanide.

See also

Cassiterides (the mythical Tin Islands)

Stannary

Terne

Tin pest

Tin mining in Britain

Tinning

Whisker (metallurgy) (tin whiskers)

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

WebElements.com – Tin

Theodore Gray's Wooden Periodic Table Table: Tin samples and castings

Base Metals: Tin

The history of the Count House of Ding Dong Mine, one of the oldest tin mines in Cornwall, where Richard Trevithick carried out his first experiments with high pressure steam.

Category:Chemical elements Category:Poor metals Category:Tin

af:Tin am:ቆርቆሮ ar:قصدير an:Estanyo (elemento) ast:Estañu ay:Chayanta az:Qalay bn:টিন zh-min-nan:Siah be:Волава be-x-old:Волава bs:Kalaj br:Staen bg:Калай ca:Estany (element) cv:Тăхлан ceb:Tansan cs:Cín co:Stagnu cy:Tun da:Tin de:Zinn nv:Béésh Dildǫʼí et:Tina el:Κασσίτερος myv:Валдо киве es:Estaño eo:Stano eu:Eztainu fa:قلع hif:Tin fr:Étain fy:Tin (elemint) fur:Stagn ga:Stán gv:Stainney gl:Estaño hak:Siak xal:Цанхорһлҗн ko:주석 (원소) hy:Անագ hi:त्रपु hr:Kositar io:Stano id:Timah ia:Stanno is:Tin it:Stagno he:בדיל jv:Timah kn:ತವರ ka:კალა (ელემენტი) kk:Қалайы kw:Sten sw:Stani kv:Озысь ht:Eten ku:Pîl (metal) koi:Озісь lbe:Къалай la:Stannum lv:Alva lb:Zënn lt:Alavas lij:Stagno (metallo) jbo:tinci hu:Ón mk:Калај ml:വെളുത്തീയം mr:टिन ms:Timah mdf:Валдакиви my:တင်း(ဓာတုဗေဒ) nah:Amochitl mrj:Вулны nl:Tin (element) ja:スズ no:Tinn (grunnstoff) nn:Grunnstoffet tinn oc:Estam uz:Qalay pa:ਟੀਨ pnb:ٹن nds:Tinn pl:Cyna pt:Estanho ro:Staniu qu:Chayanta ru:Олово sah:Хорҕолдьун sa:बङ्गम् stq:Tin sq:Kallaj scn:Stagnu simple:Tin sk:Cín sl:Kositer sr:Калај sh:Kalaj fi:Tina sv:Tenn tl:Lata ta:வெள்ளீயம் te:తగరము th:ดีบุก tg:Қалъ tr:Kalay uk:Олово ur:قلع ug:قەلەي vi:Thiếc fiu-vro:Tina zh-classical:錫 war:Lata wuu:锡 yi:צין yo:Tin zh-yue:錫 zh:锡

name	Future Islands
background	group_or_band
origin	Greenville, NC, United States
instrument	Synthesizer, keyboard, bass guitar, Drum machine
genre	Synthpop, Future Shock, Post-Wave Dance
years active	2006–present
label	Thrill Jockey, Upset the Rhythm
associated acts	Art Lord & the Self Portraits, Moss of Aura, The Snails, Ruin Yer Stereo
website	www.myspace.com/futureislands
current members	J. Gerrit Welmers William Cashion Samuel Herring
past members	Erick Murillo Samuel N. Ortiz-Payero
notable instruments	}}

Future Islands are a Post-Wave band based in Baltimore, Maryland. The band is composed of Gerrit Welmers (keyboards & programming), William Cashion (bass, acoustic & electric guitars), and Samuel T. Herring (words & voices). Future Islands formed in January 2006 in Greenville, NC.

History

The band met and formed in while studying art at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Their first band was Art Lord & the Self-Portraits, which included Samuel T. Herring, William Cashion, Gerrit Welmers, Adam Beeby, and Kymia Nawabi. That band lasted from February 2003 until Fall of 2005. In 2006, Cashion, Herring, and Welmers formed Future Islands with Erick Murillo, who played an electronic drum kit.

Future Islands released ''Little Advances'' in April 2006 and a self-released split CD with Welmers' solo project Moss of Aura in January 2007. They recorded their debut album "Wave Like Home" with Chester Gwazda at Backdoor Skateshop in Greenville, NC later that year. London-based label Upset the Rhythm released ''Wave Like Home'' in the Summer of 2008. The cover art was designed by Kymia Nawabi, a former member of Art Lord & the Self-Portraits.

In late 2007/early 2008, the band relocated to Baltimore, MD. The "Feathers and Hallways" 7" was recorded in Oakland, CA during their first US tour and was their first release as a focused three-piece. Their second album, "In Evening Air", was recorded in the band's living room in the historic Marble Hill neighborhood in Baltimore.

In 2009 the band signed to Chicago independent record company Thrill Jockey.

Discography

Albums

''Wave Like Home'' (Upset the Rhythm - August 25, 2008)

''In Evening Air'' (Thrill Jockey - May 4, 2010)

''On the Water'' (Thrill Jockey - October 11, 2011)

EPs and Singles

''Little Advances'' (self-released - April 28, 2006)

Split CD-R with Moss of Aura (self-released - January 6, 2007)

Split 7" with Dan Deacon (307 Knox Records - August 5, 2008 - purple vinyl, limited to 1000)

''Feathers & Hallways'' 7" EP (Upset the Rhythm - April 15, 2009 - white virgin vinyl)

''Post Office Wave Chapel'' 12" remix EP (Free Danger - February 2010, limited to 500)

''In The Fall'' 12" EP (Thrill Jockey - April 2010 - Blue Vinyl, limited to 1000)

''Undressed'' 12" EP (Thrill Jockey - September 2010, limited to 1000)

Split 7" with Lonnie Walker (Friends Records - November 2010, limited to 1000)

''Before the Bridge'' 7" single (Thrill Jockey - July 19, 2011, limited to 750)

As Art Lord & the Self-Portraits:

''Searching for a Complement'' (self-released - August 2003)

''In Your Boombox'' (self-released - October 2003)

''Ideas for Housecrafts'' (self-released - February 2004)

''Snail'' (self-released - 2005)

"Sad Apples, Dance!" featured on ''Compulation Vol. 2: Songs from North Carolina'' (Poxworld Empire)

''In Your Idea Box'' digital-only "best-of" release (307 Knox Records - September 2008)

References

Category:Synthpop groups Category:American pop music groups

fr:Future Islands

name	Christopher Tin
birth date	1976
birth place	California
occupation	Composer
yearsactive	2001–present
influences	Thomas Newman, Elliott Goldenthal
website	http://christophertin.com/
grammyawards	}}

Christopher Tin is an American composer of Chinese descent whose work is primarily classical, with a world music influence. He won two Grammy Awards for his classical crossover album, ''Calling All Dawns''. He is also a composer for films, video games and commercials. Tin is best known for his composition ''Baba Yetu'', featured in the 2005 computer game ''Civilization IV''.

Life and career

Career

Christopher Tin was born and raised in California. He worked on his undergraduate education at Oxford and Stanford University. At Stanford, he was active in the taiko group, Stanford Taiko, and conducted the a cappella group, Stanford Talisman, several musicals, and choral concerts at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. While there, he roomed with video game designer Soren Johnson. He graduated in 1998, receiving a BA with Honors in Music Composition and English Literature. He continued to study at Stanford and received an MA in Humanities in 1999. He was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, becoming the first to be awarded one for film scoring, to study composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music in London, and he graduated with a MMus with Distinction. He was also the winner of the Horovitz composition prize, and graduated with the highest grades in his class. He was also commissioned by the US Embassy in London to compose music for a string quartet. In 2003, he became a Sundance Institute Film Music Lab Fellow.

Tin returned to Los Angeles and continued his career by producing TV show music and working as an intern with Hans Zimmer, composer for ''The Lion King'' and ''Gladiator'', and Joel McNeely, with whom he worked on ''Mulan II''. John Ottman contacted him to work on ''X-Men 2'', for which he composed several original themes. He also composed "Daydream" for Apple Inc.'s music software, ''GarageBand'', and the music for an international advertisement of Puma AG. He also worked on TV show music, notably for ''Nova'', The History Channel, and Discovery Channel.

Baba Yetu

By far his biggest break came in 2005, when Soren Johnson, his roommate at Stanford and now working as a game designer at Firaxis Games, asked him to compose the theme song for ''Civilization IV''. Tin responded with "Baba Yetu," a choral piece performed by Stanford Talisman. Its lyrics are a Swahili version of the Lord's Prayer. It garnered a huge critical response, with over 20 reviewers singling out the theme on IGN, GameSpy, and Game Shark, and is a persistent favorite of blog posts. Contemporary Tommy Tallarico called it "incredible". and the piece is a staple of the concert tour Video Games Live, which Tallarico organizes. It won Tin two awards at the GANG (Game Audio Network Guild) Awards in 2007.

On December 5, 2010, it was reported that "Baba Yetu" was nominated for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in the category for 'Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists', making it the first video game theme nominated for a Grammy Award. On February 13, 2011, it was announced as the winner of its category, making it also the first piece of music composed for a video game to win a Grammy Award.

"Baba Yetu" has also been performed at various venues and events around the world, such as the opening ceremonies of the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung Taiwan, The Dubai Fountain (the world’s largest water feature), concert programs at The Kennedy Center and Disney Concert Hall, and many more. Additionally, "Baba Yetu" is one of the most widely performed pieces of contemporary choral music, with hundreds of amateur choirs singing it internationally. In January 2011, ''Calling All Dreams'' was nominated for The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards in the Contemporary Classical Album category. Additionally, "Baba Yetu" won in the Song Used in Film/TV/Multimedia and World Beat Song category.

Calling All Dawns

Tin released his classical crossover album ''Calling All Dawns'' in 2009. The album won two Grammy Awards in the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the song, "Baba Yetu". The win marks the first time in history that a Grammy has been awarded to a composition written for a video game.

The album is a song-cycle in three uninterrupted movements: Day, Night, and Dawn (corresponding to life, death, and rebirth). The twelve songs are sung in twelve languages, ranging from Swahili to Polish, from French to Persian to Maori. The lyrics are taken from diverse sources, including the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita, ancient Persian and Japanese poetry, and lyrics by contemporary writers. Vocal traditions include African choral music, opera, medieval chant, Irish keening, and more.

The album features performances from over 200 musicians on six continents, including Frederica von Stade, Anonymous 4, the Soweto Gospel Choir, Dulce Pontes, Sussan Deyhim and many more.

Works

Tin's works include both concert pieces and incidental music for films, TV shows, video games, commercials, and other multimedia applications. His works, scores and clients include:

''Calling All Dawns'' (debut 2009 album) recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Soweto Gospel Choir, Lia / りあ, Aoi Tada / 多田葵, Kaori Omura / 大村香織, Jia Ruhan, Dulce Pontes, Anonymous 4, Frederica von Stade, Sussan Deyhim, Stanford Talisman, On Ensemble.

X2: X-Men United

Lilo and Stitch 2

Dante's Inferno

Civilization IV

Pixar's Cars Online

Pirates of the Caribbean Online

Pocket God

Apple

Puma

Microsoft

Nokia

Verizon

Morgan Stanley

Guess

The Gap

PBS

Discovery Channel

History Channel

New York Times Television

Collaborative Projects

In 2009, Christopher Tin and multi-instrumentalist and producer Shoji Kameda, aka "Kametron" formed an LA based production duo, Stereo Alchemy. Their debut album is due to be released in 2010.

Awards

53rd Grammy Awards: Winner - Best Classical Crossover Album (2011)

53rd Grammy Awards: Winner - Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) (2011)

International Songwriting Competition: 1st Place - World Music Category (2010)

John Lennon Songwriting Contest: Finalist - World Music Category (2010)

Horovitz Composition Prize at Royal College of Music

GANG Awards: Best Original Vocal Song - Choral ("Baba Yetu"), Rookie of the Year (2007)

USA Songwriting Competition: World Music Category ("Baba Yetu") - Honorable Mention (2010)

GANG Awards: Best Adapted Soundtrack ('Pirates of the Caribbean') - Nominee (2007)

Independent Music Award: Best Song for Film/TV/Multimedia ("Baba Yetu") - Winner (2010)

Independent Music Award: Best World Beat Song ("Baba Yetu") - Winner (2010)

Independent Music Award: Best Contemporary Classical Album ('Calling All Dawns') - Nominee (2010)

Gamespy: Best Music (Civilization IV) - Honorable Mention (2005)

Regional Emmy Award: Best Historical Feature ('Fishbowl') (2007)

Archaeological Channel Film and Video Festival: Best Music ('Life in Limbo') - Honorable Mention (2009)

Sundance Composer's Fellowship (2003)

References

External links

Official site

Stereo Alchemy official site

Christopher Tin at MySpace

Christopher Tin at Youtube

Category:21st-century classical composers Category:Alumni of the Royal College of Music Category:Alumni of the University of Oxford Category:American film score composers Category:American musicians of Chinese descent Category:Fulbright Scholars Category:Living people Category:Stanford University alumni Category:Video game composers Category:1976 births

id:Christopher Tin pl:Christopher Tin fi:Christopher Tin

: ''This article is about the 1971 film. For the wrestler of a similar name, see Billy Jack Haynes.''

name	Billy Jack
director	T. C. Frank
producer	Mary Rose Solti
writer	Frank ChristinaTheresa Christina
starring	Tom LaughlinDelores TaylorClark HowatJulie WebbDavid RoyaKenneth TobeyHoward HessemanBert Freed
music	Mundell Lowe
cinematography	Fred KoenekampJohn Stephens
editing	Larry HeathMarion Rothman
distributor	Warner Bros.
released	May 1, 1971
runtime	114 min.
country
language	English
budget	$800,000 (estimated)
gross	$32,500,000
preceded by	''The Born Losers''
followed by	''The Trial of Billy Jack'' }}

''Billy Jack'' is a 1971 action film. It is the second, and highest grossing, in a series of motion pictures centering on a character of the same name, played by Tom Laughlin who also directed and co-wrote the script. Filming began in Prescott, Arizona, in fall 1969, but the movie was not completed until 1971. American International Pictures pulled out of the production, halting filming. Twentieth Century Fox came in and filming eventually resumed, but when that studio refused to distribute the film, Warner Bros. took over.

The film lacked distribution, so Laughlin took it to theatres himself in 1971. The film died at the box office in its initial run but took in more than $40 million in its 1973 re-release, which was supervised by Laughlin.

Plot

Billy Jack is a "Half-breed" American Cherokee Indian Green Beret Vietnam War veteran, hapkido master, and gunslinger. The character made his début in ''The Born Losers'' (1967), a "biker film" about a motorcycle gang terrorizing a California town; Billy Jack rises to the occasion to defeat the gang by defending a college student who has evidence against them for gang rapes.

This changes with the second film, ''Billy Jack'', in which the hero must defend the hippie-themed Freedom School and its students from townspeople who do not understand or like the counterculture students. The school is organized by Jean Roberts (Delores Taylor).

In one scene, a group of Indian children from the school go into town for ice cream and are refused service and then abused and humiliated by Bernard Posner and his gang. This prompts a violent outburst by Billy. Later, Billy's girlfriend Jean is raped and one of the Indian students is murdered by Bernard (David Roya), the corrupt son of the county's most successful (and ruthless) businessman (Bert Freed). Billy confronts Bernard and sustains a gunshot wound before killing him with a hand strike to the throat. After a climactic shootout with the police, and much pleading from Jean, he surrenders to the authorities and is arrested. As he is being driven away, a large crowd of supporters raise their fists into the air as a show of defiance and support. The plot continues in the sequel, ''The Trial of Billy Jack''.

Box-office and critical reception

Billy Jack has a "Fresh" rating of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In his ''Movie and Video Guide,'' film critic Leonard Maltin writes: "Seen today, its politics are highly questionable, and its 'message' of peace looks ridiculous, considering the amount of violence in the film."

Roger Ebert disagreed on what the message of the film was, saying "I'm also somewhat disturbed by the central theme of the movie. "Billy Jack" seems to be saying the same thing as "Born Losers," that a gun is better than a constitution in the enforcement of justice."

Influence

Although marketed as an action film, the story focuses on the plight of Native Americans during the civil rights movement. It attained a cult following among younger audiences due to its youth-oriented, anti-authority message combined with the then-novel martial arts fight scenes which predate the Bruce Lee/kung fu movie trend that soon followed. The centerpiece of the film features Billy Jack, enraged over the mistreatment of his Indian friends, fighting a gang of racist thugs using various hapkido techniques.

Billy Jack's wardrobe (black T-shirt, blue denim jacket, blue jeans, and a black hat with a beadwork band) would become nearly as iconic as the character. The film's theme song, "One Tin Soldier" by Coven, became a Top 40 hit in 1971, and featured the chorus:

Go ahead and hate your neighbor; go ahead and cheat a friend. Do it in the name of heaven; you can justify it in the end. There won't be any trumpets blowin' come the judgment day On the bloody morning after, one tin soldier rides away

Films in the series

''The Born Losers'' (1967)

''Billy Jack'' (1971)

''The Trial of Billy Jack'' (1974)

''Billy Jack Goes to Washington'' (1977)

''The Return Of Billy Jack'' (1985/86) (unreleased)

Laughlin planned to make a sixth film, ''Billy Jack for President'', which was supposed to be released in 2007 or 2008 but was not finished.

''Billy Jack'' in popular culture

In 1976 musician Paul Simon played "Billy Paul" (a parody of Billy Jack) in a sketch on the second season of the NBC comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', after the film ''Billy Jack'' aired earlier that same evening on NBC.

In the series ''Mystery Science Theater 3000,'' at least two episodes make reference to ''Billy Jack'': on the episode ''Werewolf'', after a fight breaks out between a racist dig supervisor and his Indian help, Tom Servo says, "This is where Billy Jack should come riding up."; on the episode ''Track of the Moon Beast,'' after the Native American professor finishes telling a story, Crow says, "Uh huh...do you know Billy Jack?"

In an episode of ''The Simpsons'' ("Bart of War"), Bart joins a Boy Scouts of America-like group called the "Pre-Teen Braves", and they engage in a rivalry with "the Cavalry Kids". A montage of the two groups fighting each other is set to Coven's version of ''One Tin Soldier''.

Billy Jack is also referenced in an episode of ''Gilmore Girls'' ("Red Light on the Wedding Night") while Lorelai and Rory are watching the movie in their living room. At the line "Billy Jack, I'm gonna kill you if it's the last thing I do!", Lorelai responds, "Ugh, he so jinxed himself with that one." Rory replies, "Yeah, he should've said 'Billy Jack, I'm gonna kill you or buy myself a lovely chenille sweater.'"

Upon first meeting serial killer Cary Stayner—then considered a possible material witness to a 1999 murder in Yosemite National Park—FBI Agent Jeff Rinek asked if Stayner had ever seen the movie ''Billy Jack,'' noting Stayner's close resemblance to the film's hero. Initially, Stayner denied ever seeing the movie. However, 90 minutes later, after building a rapport during the drive to the FBI headquarters in Sacramento from the nudist resort where he had been picked up, Stayner surprised Rinek by reciting several of Billy Jack's lines.

In the motion picture ''Major Payne,'' Damon Wayans as the title character references the iconic fight scene quote "Now, what I'm goin' do is take this right foot and I'm 'a put it 'cross the left side your face."

In season three of the television series ''Sabrina The Teenage Witch'', the school principal Mr. Kraft reveals that Billy Jack is his favourite film.

Billy Jack was referenced by Jim Carrey in ''Yes Man.''

Metal band Goblin Cock have a song entitled "Ode to Billy Jack" on their 2009 album ''Come With Me if You Want to Live'', which is a tribute to him.

In the movie ''Drillbit Taylor'', actor Owen Wilson references Billy Jack by saying to another cast mate "I am gonna Billy Jack your ass."

In the episode of the animated show ''Pinky and the Brain'', titled "Brainy Jack," Brain assumes the role of the titular Brainy Jack to trick a commune of hippies into helping him take over the world. Brain's wardrobe is a direct reference to Billy Jack, especially the hat with a beaded hat-band. Likewise, the song that Pinky sings in the episode is a parody of "One Tin Soldier."

British electro band Relaxed Muscle (fronted by Jarvis Cocker, from Pulp) released a song called "Billy Jack" on their one and only album ''A Heavy Nite With...'' in 2003. It was also released as a single with a music video that featured Cocker (as his alter ego, Darren Spooner) in Western garb reminiscent of Billy Jack's trademark outfit.

References

External links

''Billy Jack'', Laughlin's official Billy Jack web site

The Man Who Made Billy Jack Go Berserk: A Conversation with David Roya Interview with Billy Jack co-star David "Bernard Posner" Roya

DVD review of the Billy Jack series and production history

A vision of American multiplicity Village Voice review August 19, 1971

Category:1971 films Category:Native American film Category:Prescott, Arizona Category:Films shot in Arizona Category:Films shot in New Mexico Category:Films shot in California Category:Counterculture of the 1960s Category:Hippie films Jack, Billy Category:Hapkido films Category:Vigilante films

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