Cranes, a British rock group formed in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, were founded in 1985 by siblings Alison Shaw (vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar) and Jim Shaw (guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums). Their early work emerged from local independent label Bite Back!, releasing the cassetteâonly Fuse in 1986 and the 12" EP SelfâNonâSelf in 1989, which led to a Johnâ¯Peel session and a subsequent signing with Dedicated Records in 1990. The bandâs first fullâlength album, Wings of Joy (1991), entered the UK Albums Chart at number 52, followed by Forever (1993) which peaked at number 40; the single "Jewel" reached number 29 after a Robertâ¯Smith remix. Subsequent releases included Loved (1994), Populationâ¯Four (1997), and Future Songs (2001) on their own Dadaphonic label. Cranes supported Theâ¯Cure on tour in 1992 and 2002, and performed at Hyde Park and European festivals. Their sound evolved from gothic minimalism to dream pop and later incorporated electronic ambient textures, as heard on Particlesâ¯&â¯Waves (2004) and the selfâtitled Cranes (2008). After an indefinite hiatus postâ1998, the group reformed in 2023 for live performances and has overseen reissues of early recordings, including Johnâ¯Peel sessions.
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