Soft Cell

Soft Cell formed in Leeds in 1978, Marc Almond and Dave Ball developing a sound rooted in synth-pop and new wave that was immediately distinctive and provocative. Almond's vocals were extraordinary — expressive, campy, and capable of remarkable emotional range — and Ball's electronic productions combined melodic directness with a sleazy, nocturnal atmosphere that set them apart from virtually everything else in British music.

'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret' (1981) was one of the most important and influential British albums of the early 1980s — a record of extraordinary melodic beauty and provocative content that produced 'Tainted Love', 'Bedsitter', and 'Say Hello, Wave Goodbye'. 'Tainted Love' was one of the defining British singles of the decade — a cover of Gloria Jones's Northern Soul classic that became a global hit and one of the most recognisable songs in British pop history.

Soft Cell dissolved in 1984 before reforming for various projects and a full reunion in 2017, releasing 'Happiness Not Included' (2022) to strong reviews. They are remembered as one of the most important and influential acts of the early-1980s British synth-pop scene — a duo whose combination of melodic beauty, provocative content, and Almond's extraordinary vocals influenced virtually every subsequent synth-pop and electronic act.