After leaving the pop group Lala et les Émotions, singer Pascale Borel met Grégori Czerkinsky. In 1982 together they created the pop duo Mikado, named after the Japanese game. Borel wrote the lyrics and sang and Czerkinsky composed and arranged the music. The group acquired a fan base quickly in Japan and went on several tours in that country in the 1980's. Their first success in France was the single Naufrage en hiver in 1986. Their retro-kitsch album and single covers were designed by French artists Pierre et Gilles. Borel and Czerkinsky split up in 1991 to pursue solo careers.