Karak is/was: 1. A japanese artpop duo formed by Koko Komine (Lyrics, vocals, accordion etc.) and Hisaaki Hogari (composer, arranger, guitar, programming etc.). Koko Komine and Hisaaki Hogari met through their musical activities during high school and later formed KARAK after moving to Tokyo. In 1987 the group won second prize at the Sun Chain Music Battle Royale, contest for amateur musicians, receiving high praise from judges Kenzo Saeki and Akira Inoue. They were affiliated with Kyakusha, which was then Tokiko Kato 's office. They mainly performed live in Tokyo and Hogari also worked as a guitarist, recording for Hajime Mizoguchi and Akira Inoue, and participating in PSY・S 's live touring band. They also arranged and produced works for Akino Arai, while Komine wrote lyrics for ZABADAK and provided backing vocals for recordings and live performances. They each worked as professional musicians. On June 21, 1991 , they debuted with their first album, "Silent Days," from King Records . After releasing two albums and one single from the same company, and after their contracts with the company and Kyakusha expired, they released one album from the indie label BIOSPHERE RECORDS. They list Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Cocteau Twins and progressive rock in general as their favorite musicians. Their music exudes visual images and a primal nostalgia, influenced by the films of Andrei Tarkovsky and the film scores of Nino Rota and Francis Lai. The band's last album, "July Snow," was released on April 22, 1998, and then, due to busy schedules and other reasons, they naturally went on hiatus. After the hiatus, KARAK's songs have occasionally been featured on Komine's solo albums and at live shows she participates in. 2. Dungeonsynth artist from Austria inspired by mines and mining. 3. Crust/powerviolence band from Hungary