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From Vinyldeptford.co.uk

Ambient Soho was a record shop in London’s Berwick Street that was run by Rocket (who was also the artist Further previously here) that specialised in ambient music in the early 90s. They released a couple of limited edition EPs in 1996, from which today’s tracks are taken. The shop closed in the later 90s but the label set up to release the music – Worm Interface – is still operating today. Do go and visit and buy something. The featured artist is Dunderhead. An odd name for an ambient act. But there you go. Turns out it was Nigel Smith. In this incarnation, he produced some dreamy jazz-influenced ambient – a genre now sadly overlooked.

2001 Ambient Soho was forced to close due to development and lived on for a few more months in side of Dragon Discs in Camden (also owned by Rocket) When Dragon Discs closed Both shops were combined and went on to be a Festival Pop up shop known as Records Rock Selling new and used vinyl at many of the uk festivals notably Green Man Big Chill Glastonbury and many more.This has been going on for the last 12 years in September 2013 a new premises was found and reopened as Vinyl at 4 Tanners Hill. SE84PJ in Deptford 10 mins walk from Greenwich and New Cross there is a Coffee Bar, Gallery and record shop.

(July 15, 2014) Mr Gra said:Always wondered what happened to this shop-still got lots of records and cd's I bought there-Metri and various Weatherall white-label Emissions spring straight to mind..thanks for the update!
When Berwick St was at it's best x

Richard Guy

There is this on Discogs.

"Ambient Soho" was a record shop in London’s Berwick Street that was run by Rocket (3) (who was also the artist Further (2) previously there). It specialized in ambient music in the early 90s. They released a couple of limited edition recordings. In 1994 the shop set up a record label: Worm Interface. Some few of the previously released tracks were re-released on that label.

In 2001 "Ambient Soho" was forced to close due to development and lived on for a few more months in side of "Dragon Discs" in Camden (also owned by Rocket). When "Dragon Discs" closed both shops were combined and went on to be a festival pop-up shop known as "Records Rock" selling new and used vinyl at many of the UK festivals notably Green Man Big Chill Glastonbury and many more.This has been going on for around 12 years. In late 2013 a new premises was found and reopened as "Vinyl" at 4 Tanners Hill. SE84PJ in Deptford. There is a Coffee Bar, Gallery and record shop

Murf Woram

Ambient SoHo was a great little shop, based on the North half of Berwick St…. Always had a few bits worth picking up


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Record Stores of Soho 1946-1996 map

April 9, 2015

11082308_871166672942415_1672106194763103349_oFantastic map doing the rounds of all the records shops in and around Soho in London over a 50 year period (click for larger version). It’s no coincidence that last year’s Record Store Day celebrated by holding performances in Berwick Street, perhaps the heart of this map. Read MJ Carty’s blog about the legendary ‘record road’ here. Proud to say I once worked at a store on this street in the early 90’s, Ambient Soho/Worm Interface, right near the bottom, around no.11, close to where Gosh Comics now resides. I must get that added, it used to occupy the old Quaff Records shop site. This map coincides with an exhibition from Leon Parker’s archive which opens on the 11th of April at 2 Berwick Street.

Posted in Records. | Tags: Record ShopsSoho

12 thoughts on “Record Stores of Soho 1946-1996 map”

  1. leon Parker says:March 13, 2025 at 6:00 pm

    Just to answer couple of the points about the map, it is an incomplete map, a more complete map can be found on google maps: West End & Soho Old Record Shops The date 1946-1996 worked as it was a 50 year period. If I recall the Record & Tape Exchange was in the old Harlequin shop?

    This year 2025 record store day, the map is getting to go live as there will be temporary record plagues with QR codes to the shop page, on the premises within the boundary of Oxford Street ,Shaftsbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Regent street (only on those premises we could get permission which is about 30 plus shops)

    Will post more when full details about the events that day are complete.

  2. RB says:January 29, 2025 at 1:32 pm

    Silverfish Records, 146 Charring Cross Rd (opened 1993)
    Eukatech, 49 Endell Street (opened 1996)

  3. kev says:August 7, 2022 at 7:12 pm

    I’m not sure if the M&VE was on Berwick St between 1946-1996, think it arrived in the 00’s.

  4. Griff says:August 2, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    No Music and Video exchange ? That place was awesome for early Warp stuff, back catalogue KLF/Orb, etc…

  5. Silas says:May 26, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    Ambient Soho, thanks for reminding me of this shop, they were the best of the lot, I can remember trying to sell my record to all the shops in soho who I spent years in buying records from them, none of them would try and sell my record
    But Ambient Soho sold about 40 copies, I will never forget this place.
    These guys were purely into the music, unlike some of the others.
    I now have my own record shop in Palma de Mallorca, and I’m helping all the artists and bands sell their records or even their cd’s
    All hail Ambient Soho and big love to all who were associated with the shop ❤️

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2 Berwick Street W1F 0DR Soho / London
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