Dave Ball, the instrumentalist for the hit ’80s British synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died at age 66.

The band announced on its official Instagram account that the musician “passed away peacefully in his sleep at his London home on Wednesday.” A cause of death was not provided.

Soft Cell was renowned for its 1981 cover of “Tainted Love,” a massive hit that brought electronic music to a mainstream audience and topped the charts in 17 countries, Parade reports. In the U.S., the single reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and set a record at the time for its 43-week stay on the chart.

Marc Almond, the singer for Soft Cell, paid tribute to his musical partner of 46 years in a statement on the duo’s website .

“He was a wonderfully brilliant musical genius,” Almond said. “Thank you, D

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