We are saddened to hear of the passing of Dave Ball, acclaimed musician, producer and one half of the pioneering electronic duo Soft Cell. Dave’s innovative work helped shape the sound of synth-pop, leaving an enduring mark on British music.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.

I’m on a train from London back to the north east. It’s full of people who look like they’ve been through an ordeal.

This is going in, but something and I don’t know what, has to come out… #synthsky

I’d been thinking about buying one of these for ten years and in the process, took the concept of the considered-purchase to something of an extreme. #synthsky

Does anyone have a stupid-o-meter I can borrow? Mine just exploded. It’s bad enough reading this, but it’s even worse when you watch it.

Nothing better than strolling towards a rainbow. Beautiful.

The glorious RHS Harlow Carr at its Glow event. A lovely festive evening with @richardlacymusic.bsky.social strolling around with a Bettys hot choc.

The midibot.net synth ad conversion chart - if you're in the market for a second hand synth here's a handy resource to help you interpret the advertisement #synthsky #synth #lifehacks

Sounding promising and there are plenty of patch cables left, so I can make this ten times more complicated before the day is out... #synthsky

When I consider how much my first synths cost me, I realise that synths like Arturia Pigments are an absolute steal (it was €49). Paired with @valhalladsp.bsky.social Supermassive (which is free) and you have proof that great sound design tools can be had for almost nothing. #synthsky

It’s grim living up north. Nothing but derelict buildings.

Whenever I hear New Grass I have to stop what I’m doing. 33 years later it’s also still influencing how I like to approach the piano.

My patience ran out for the old place.