Soft Cell's gay frontman: Homophobia has 'taken other faces' since '80s prejudice

This story originally appeared on Out.For nearly five decades, Soft Cell has radically reshaped electronic music with its signature collision of raw emotion, soulful melodrama, and synthesizer sleaze. From the neon-drenched grooves of their acclaimed 1981 debut, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, to an illustrious 27-album solo run, Marc Almond’s distinctive voice and theatrical flair have stood as a beacon for alternative pop and queer culture for over four decades.Now, as the synth-pop legends prepare to release their sixth and final studio album, Danceteria, the Soft Cell frontman finds himself reflecting on an album that’s not only just a triumphant artistic climax, but also a bittersweet farewell. Completed just days prior to the tragic death of founding member Dave Ball — who died on October 22, 2025 at the age of 66 — Danceteria stands as a definitive last chapter for one of Britain’s most iconic synth-pop acts. Danceteria album cover artRepublic of Music While Soft Cell will always be remembered as the quintessentially British duo who brought us radio hits like “Tainted Love” and underground club bangers like “Sex Dwarf,” the band’s origins — and the spirit of Danceteria — are actually deeply rooted in the concrete jungle of New York City. So it’s no wonder the album is a glowing homage to the city that altered their creative DNA and catapulted them to fame."This album takes us back to New York in 1982 when we first went there to record the first of three albums," Almond told Out during an exclusive interview. "The album Danceteria is a love letter to New York, to the America of those times, and the creativity we experienced and how it shaped us, bringing it all to a full circle."Even though the duo had built their foundational sound in the U.K., stepping into the chaotic energy of early-'80s Manhattan blew their artistic doors wide open. "Though we were a British duo first and foremost, New York really shaped us and opened up a new world of