Pioneering synth-pop duo Soft Cell have been trading ideas in the hope of recording their first new music in 17 years.
Frontman Marc Almond said he and producer Dave Ball had been “swapping a few little ideas” and that their reunion show at London’s O2 last year “opened a door” to further collaboration.
However, the Tainted Love hitmaker ruled out another live reunion, saying it would be impossible to top their one-off three-hour September show at the 20,000-capacity venue.
Almond, 62, and Ball, 60, reunited to mark 40 years since they founded Soft Cell at Leeds Polytechnic, and to promote the launch of a retrospective box set titled Keychains & Snowstorms – The Soft Cell Story.
Speaking at the premiere of the film documenting their O2 gig, Almond told PA: “This 40th celebration and box set and the things we did in the concert, in our eyes and in the fans’ eyes as well, really made everything OK. It settled everything with them.
“It opened a door maybe, and that door might remain open. We’ll see what happens.
“It’s true we have been swapping a few little ideas together for maybe a song or two.
“Dave has written for me as a solo artist as well. We are swapping some ideas together.
“I don’t think there will be a live thing again but record wise? Possibly.”
The music would be their first since 2002’s well-received album Cruelty Without Beauty.
Almond said Soft Cell had never “officially finished” and that he and Ball had always viewed it as “an open book”.
“It’s never been an officially finished thing,” he said.
“Dave and I have always thought of it as an open book. If something happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.
“But I don’t think live things would happen in the future. When you do something like that (the O2) it is very hard to top it.”
The singer also suggested the band would consider writing a film score.
Soft Cell‘s Say Hello Wave Goodbye, which follows Almond and Ball as they play their final sold-out show, is out on CD and DVD on July 26.
