Electronic music duo Soft Cell has released a new single titled The Rainbow Room, set in early 1980s New York City. The atmospheric electronic ballad serves as a preview for the group’s sixth and final studio album, Danceteria, scheduled for release in September 2026.
Danceteria pays tribute to New York’s music scene and marks the conclusion of the duo’s 47-year collaboration following member Dave Ball’s death in late 2025. The album features a mix of moody electronic tracks and up-tempo pop songs, accompanied by upcoming live tour dates.
SOFT CELL releases a new ballad, The Rainbow Room, set in early ’80s New York City. Taken from the forthcoming final album, Danceteria, the track arrives ahead of the album’s release date and offers a poignant look at love, loss, and friendship through the lens of a iconic era.
Electronic music legends SOFT CELL — Marc Almond and Dave Ball — have released The Rainbow Room, a moving ballad set in early 1980s New York. The track is taken from the forthcoming album Danceteria, described as Soft Cell’s sixth and final studio album, with a release date of September 25, 2026 via Republic of Music.
Digital release is available today across all platforms. The song is described as a stunning atmospheric electronic track paying homage to love, loss, and friendship, delivered within a moment of expansive vistas. The Rainbow Room continues to showcase the heavier, moodier side of the forthcoming album, following the release of The Space Inside and its epic ravey synths.
Marc Almond describes Danceteria as a love letter to New York in the early 80s. He explains that the time in New York helped shape them as artists and people, serving as a fitting farewell to Dave Ball and Soft Cell’s final studio album. Almond also notes that Dave Ball’s passing in October 2025 at age 66 deeply impacted the project, with final mixes completed two days before his death and two months after Soft Cell’s last live appearance at Rewind Festival in Henley-On-Thames.
Almond’s tribute to Ball emphasizes the collaborative nature of Danceteria: “Dave was a wonderfully brilliant musical genius,” he says. He recalls receiving the finished instrumental tracks from Dave, the joy of hearing them, and how this inspired his lyrics. Recording sessions took place at Dean Street Studios in Soho with vocal engineer Jonny Solway and backing vocalists Louise Marshall, Bryan Chambers, and Simon King, with Philip Larsen contributing as a key collaborator and mixer, co-producing with Soft Cell.
Pre-orders for Danceteria on vinyl and CD are available, with the CD version expanding to 14 tracks. The pre-order page is linked in promotional materials.
Marc Almond will tour in South America in late November to December, with European dates in Italy and Poland in late September to October. A States-side return as Soft Cell is planned for early November, beginning November 8 in San Diego, with appearances at the Darker Waves festival in California on November 14 and other dates listed below.
Danceteria is described as a big, classy, and playful farewell to 47 years of collaboration between Almond and Ball. The album is a vivid journey through a day in early 80s New York, balancing moodier tracks with celebratory anthems, and featuring contributions from notable artists and collaborators in the electronic and pop scenes. The album’s celebration includes press coverage such as a five-page exclusive interview in The Sunday Times Magazine and a 16-page feature in Electronic Sound, which includes a covermount 7″ single.
Track listings for the vinyl and CD formats include:
The Rainbow Room and Danceteria pay tribute to the late Dave Ball, who passed away on October 22, 2025, at age 66. Almond notes that finishing the album was a way to honor Ball’s legacy, with the two completing final mixes shortly before Ball’s death. The release also acknowledges contributions from industry peers and collaborators who have praised Ball’s influence as an electronic music pioneer.
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