Soft Cell release ‘In Heaven (When I Dance With You)’ from final album ‘Danceteria’
Soft Cell released “In Heaven (When I Dance With You)” on 16 July 2026, the second single from “Danceteria”, out 25 September 2026 via Republic of Music.
Soft Cell - Photo via Soft Cell
Synthpop duo Soft Cell released the single “In Heaven (When I Dance With You)” on 16 July 2026, the second single from “Danceteria“, the duo’s sixth and final studio album, due on 25 September 2026 via Republic of Music. The single is available on Bandcamp, with an official audio video on YouTube.
“Danceteria” is the first Soft Cell album to arrive since Dave Ball died on 22 October 2025 at the age of 66. Ball completed the record two days before his death. The album takes its title from the New York nightclub Danceteria, which hosted the US launch party for the duo’s 1981 debut “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” and became a fixture of the pair’s early-80s New York period. It will be released on vinyl and CD, with the CD edition expanded to 14 tracks through the bonus cuts “Crackland” and “What Is Your Morality”.
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Marc Almond on Soft Cell’s ‘In Heaven (When I Dance With You)’
Marc Almond describes the single as a return to a specific moment on the floor rather than a general nostalgia piece: “‘In Heaven (When I Dance With You)’ is a celebration of the early 80s joyful disco scene. A coming together of the sentiments of the time. I wanted it to be that moment when you run to the dancefloor.”
The singer also connects the song to the city that named the album: “New York in the 1980s was a particularly creative place for me. […] New York shaped Soft Cell, as it opened up a whole new world of possibilities. […] There were 24-hour nightclubs, music, art and underground theatre. It offered a cornucopia of energy and edge, and the lyrics on ‘Danceteria’ reflect that time of my life.”
The official audio for “In Heaven (When I Dance With You)” is streaming on YouTube.
‘Danceteria’ follows the Record Store Day title track
The album’s first single was the title track “Danceteria”, issued for Record Store Day 2026 as an extended mix on a limited white 12 inch vinyl, backed by a house rework from Mark Moore and Dan Donovan plus a dub version, and paired with a video by collage artist Vicki Bennett. Pre-orders for the album run through the duo’s official website.
About Soft Cell
Soft Cell formed in 1979 at Leeds Polytechnic, pairing vocalist Marc Almond with synthesist and producer Dave Ball. Their 1981 debut album “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” reached UK platinum status and carried the chart-topping cover “Tainted Love”. The duo split in 1984 after three albums, reunited around 2001 for “Cruelty Without Beauty”, and in 2018 announced a farewell with a final show at the O2 Arena in London on 30 September, preceded by “Northern Lights“, their first new song in 15 years.
The farewell did not hold. The single “Bruises On My Illusions” arrived in October 2021, followed by the album “*Happiness Not Included” on 25 February 2022, the duo’s first full-length in over 20 years, and the Pet Shop Boys collaboration “Purple Zone“. Outside Soft Cell, Ball recorded as one half of The Grid and released the 2016 soundscape album “Photosynthesis” with Jon Savage. Ball died in his sleep at his London home on 22 October 2025, having finished work on “Danceteria” two days earlier. “In Heaven (When I Dance With You)” now previews that final album ahead of its 25 September 2026 release.
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