SOFT CELL Vinyl & CDs

Review: The birth point of ecstasy in British music is usually credited to acid house and the second summer of love: a cemented vision of kids sweating and vibrating in clubs, fields and warehouses in 1988, united by universal empathy and mind-popping sounds. However, in 1981, a couple of young men from Leeds went to New York, discovered the drug in its infancy, fused its' gritty synth pop to acid house's squelchy 303 groove and recorded an album - Soft Cell's Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The rest, as they say, is history.

Review: The truly special thing about a track like 'Tainted Love' is its malleability over time. The original elements touch on New Romanticism, New Wave, electro, and synth pop, creating a twisted and mutated version of the crooning troubadour that smacks of sticky dancefloor heat in subterranean haunts.

With that in mind a remix collection could pretty much go anywhere, and in many ways this one does. Presenting several interpretations of this timeless and iconic tune, these range from the not-so-different instrumental and the strikingly powerful but simple acapella, through to DJ Hell's typically growly stomper, and the groovier, wavier Jack Ford and Jaimieson Hill cut. Oh, and don't forget the very DIY sounding bonus track, 'The Hungry Years', which is a whole different story in its own right, so we'll leave you to discover that one.

Review: Here's something we didn't expect: an all-star collaboration between two of the 1980s most potent synth-pop duos, Soft Cell and Pet Shop Boys. Long-term fans of both artists will love the original version of 'Purple Zone', a throbbing, arpeggio-driven synth-pop number boasting lead vocals from Mark Almond and chorus back-up from Neil Tennant. The latter and PSB partner Chris Lowe provide the various remixes scattered across the 12": a classic, Fairlight stab-sporting 'Extended Mix' that recalls Shep Pettibone's mid-80s mixes for PSB, a piano-sporting 'Club Mix' that gives the track a heavier Italo-disco-goes-house spin, and a pleasingly muscular 'Club Dub' that subtly pays tribute to David Morales' early '90s Red Zone dubs.