British synth-pop legends Soft Cell have been working hard during the lockdown on new material and have announced that the duo will be releasing a new album in early 2022. The album will be the hitmakers first since ‘Cruelty without Beauty’ which was released in 2002. The duo took to Facebook to tease the news to fans with a cryptic post.

Originally calling it quits in 1984 the group have reunited before, once in 2001 with a collection of live performances followed by the release of ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’ and some tours. Then again in 2008 with the release of the remix album, ‘Heat’. The duo recently regrouped in February 2018 for a UK reunion concert, the concert took place at the O2 London and from there the group disbanded again.

A recent interview with the Daily Star concerning the group’s new comeback gave fans the exciting news. In the newspaper’s Wired column, 61-year instrumentalist David Bell had this to say about the group’s last show and what fans can expect from the group who was responsible for many hits during their heyday in the ’80s. Including their most popular song, ‘Tainted Love’, the 1981 electronic cover of the classic Gloria Jones Northern Soul track.

“Before the O2 show, Marc and I hadn’t seen each other in about 15 years. In the years between, we’ve started to sound mature. The new songs are still catchy, but a lot more worldly-wise. We haven’t tried to write another ‘Tainted Love’. Maybe we should! But it’d be inappropriate for two 60-something men to try to write bouncy little pop numbers. That doesn’t mean we’ve become miserable, and it’s not heavy industrial music either. I’d say the songs are sounding quite minimal, melodic and bass-driven. I’m really pleased with how it’s coming along; it’s sounding great.”

Bell continues to talk to about their legacy and the promise of a live-stream concert, “Our first three albums are getting reissued by Universal, starting with ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’, Marc has suggested we do a live-stream concert of the whole album, and I’d be up for that.”

The duo, made up of Bell and singer Marc Almond, have had twelve top 40 hits and four top 20 albums during their career and are celebrated as an inspiration for many modern acts. The band’s tracks have also been covered by various artists, including the famed 2001 cover of ‘Tainted Love’ by American rock god Marilyn Manson. Another one of Soft Cell’s famous tracks, ‘Say Hello, Wave Goodbye’ originally released in 1982, was covered by English singer-songwriter David Gray. The cover was released in 1998 and was included on the artist’s album ‘White Ladder’, the cover was released as the album’s final single.

The band are often heralded as pioneers of the electronic music resurgence of the 1980s, inspiring many artists which we call our own today. The group’s new re-birth is sure to make any music fan’s day, and along with talks of a live-stream concert, fans have hope that Soft Cell are here to stay.