An experimental trio founded in Luzern, Switzerland, Shar was put together in the summer of 1999 by Judy Dunaway, Ilja Komarov, and Trixa Arnold. At the center of the band was Dunaway, whose compositions for balloons had earned her some renown. It is her eerie, plastic scraping that gives the unit its distinctly sharp and dissonant sound. Bassist Komarov was drawn from the Estonian unit Ne Zhdali, while drummer Arnold came from Les Halmas. The trio released their debut album, Pop, on Outer Realm records in early 2002. ~ Jesse Jarnow, Rovi