With the passing of Dave Ball last autumn, one of the 1980s’ great synth-pop outfits came to an end. He and Soft Cell partner Marc Almond completed the final mix of Danceteria two days before Ball died. It’s the full stop on the band and, fittingly, a concept album about early 1980s New York, where the duo indulged in hedonistic 24-hour nightclubbing which they filtered into darkly peerless electronic music, giving Britain a glimpse of what lay in its 1990s future.
Danceteria is, then, a celebration of long-ago dissolution, the glamour and sleaze of a city that no longer exists. Tonally, it’s similar to Madonna’s most recent album; indeed, she receives a mention on the moodily pulsing title track, an inventory of the 21st Street clubbing mecca.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please .

« »