Soft Cell - Tainted Love | 80s Synthpop Cover | Maxi-Korg 800DV, PPG Wave & Emulator II

video upload by RetroSound

"My cover of the iconic 1981 Soft Cell synthpop classic “Tainted Love”, recreated with authentic vintage synthesizers and samplers from the 80s electronic music era.

For this version, I used:

🎹 Maxi-Korg 800DV – analog bass and fx synthesizer sounds
🎹 PPG Wave 2.2 – main theme and pads
🎹 E-MU Emulator II – CR-78 drum and additional sampling sounds

The goal was to capture the atmosphere, character and raw electronic aesthetic of classic 1980s synthpop, while giving the song my own production and sound approach.

' Tainted Love ' became one of Soft Cell’s defining songs after its release in 1981. The duo Marc Almond and Dave Ball transformed the earlier soul song into a minimalist, dark and highly influential synthpop classic. The song was originally written by Ed Cobb and first recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964.

Soft Cell’s version became a major international hit and helped define the sound of early-1980s electronic pop, with synthesizers, electronic rhythms and a distinctive minimalist arrangement.

For me, recreating this track with vintage hardware is also a journey back to the analog and early digital sound of the 1980s — before modern software instruments became the standard. Dave Ball wrote me he used the Korg Bass and the Synclavier in the original song."

synth tees: https://retrosound.creator-spring.com