Shoom (1987–1990) was a weekly-held, London-based club night widely credited with kicking off acid house and rave culture in the UK. It was founded by Danny Rampling, then an unknown DJ, and run alongside his wife Jenni, who managed the door. It switched locations and the day of the week it was held on multiple times due to changes in demand.
The whole thing traces back to a 1987 trip to Ibiza, where Rampling and fellow DJs Paul Oakenfold, Nicky Holloway, and Johnny Walker heard DJ Alfredo playing at Amnesia and were blown away by a sound and atmosphere unlike anything happening in London clubs. Shoom was their attempt to recreate that experience back home.
In-house DJs Danny Rampling and Terry Farley played a mix of Chicago house, Balearic beat, and the emerging Detroit techno sound, blended with contemporary pop and post-punk, in a club filled with strawberry-scented smoke machines and strobe lights. The night’s smiley-face logo went on to become one of the defining visual symbols of the acid house era. Regular guest DJs over time included Carl Cox, Mark Moore, and Andrew Weatherall, and the club’s musical and visual culture evolved around LSD and MDMA. Demand quickly outgrew the space — within weeks, far more people were trying to get in than the venue could hold, forcing the Ramplings into a strict door policy. Shoom eventually closed in early 1990 after the drug use associated with the club began attracting police attention.
In this playlist, you’ll hear the mix of Chicago house, Balearic beat, and Detroit techno that were played during those club nigths.
