Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and David Ball on synthesizers. Lyrics by the duo often focused on love, romance, kinky sex, transexualism, as well as drugs and murder. The duo is well known for their huge world-wide hit in 1981 with a cover version of "Tainted Love", which made them a one-hit wonder in several countries.

Their first album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, further explored the trademark Soft Cell themes of squalor and sleaze. "Seedy Films" talks of long nights in porno cinemas, while "Frustration" and "Secret Life" deal with the boredom and hypocrisy associated with suburban life. A companion video entitled Non-Stop Exotic Video Show was released alongside the album and featured videos directed by Tim Pope, who later found fame as director of music videos by The Cure. The video generated some controversy in Britain, mainly due to the scandal involved with the "Sex Dwarf" promotional film. The original version of the music video featured Almond and Ball in a bloody butcher shop surrounded by chainsaws, nude actors, and dwarves. However, the film was confiscated by police and censored before it was even released. As a tongue-in-cheek substitute, a re-filmed "Sex Dwarf" appeared in Non-Stop Exotic Video Show featuring Almond dressed in a tuxedo, directing a symphony orchestra of dwarves.

In 1982, the duo spent most of their time recording and relaxing in New York City, where they met a woman named Cindy Ecstasy. It was Cindy Ecstasy who introduced them to the new club drug of the same name. By their own admission, most of Non-stop Ecstatic Dancing was recorded and mixed under the influence of ecstasy.

Discography

1981 Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
1982 Non-stop Ecstatic Dancing
1983 The Art of Falling Apart
1984 This Last Night In Sodom
2002 Cruelty Without Beauty

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