Originally a quartet whose sound drew inspiration from psychedelia, the Beloved found their greatest success as a rave-influenced dance-pop duo. Throughout the Beloved's fluid existence, the guiding force behind the group remained vocalist Jon Marsh, who formed the band Journey Through at Cambridge University with Guy Gousden and Tim Havard; with the addition of guitarist Steve Waddington a year later, the group renamed itself the Beloved, and gradually evolved into a moody dance outfit not dissimilar to New Order.