Soft Cell's Final Album Honors Dave Ball, Recalls NYC

Soft Cell's sixth and final studio album, titled Danceteria, will be released on September 25, marking a "fitting farewell" to electronic musician Dave Ball. Ball, who passed away in October 2025 at the age of 66, had completed the record just two days prior. The album is co-written and produced by Ball, and it serves as a tribute to him and a commemoration of nearly five decades of music.

Danceteria is also described as a "love letter" to early 1980s New York City, where Soft Cell recorded their first three albums. The record is set in a Manhattan nightclub of the same name, frequented by the duo. Frontman Marc Almond noted the band's strong connection to New York, calling the 1980s a "particularly creative place." He stated that no further Soft Cell recordings are possible without Ball, who was "half of Soft Cell."