I lived in a quiet town and experienced it from a distance through the media really, but I remember it fondly. It just broke all the rules. Records got to number one in the charts without ever being played on the radio. And records like Pump up the Volume by M|A|R|R|S (which also got to number one in the UK) not only had no discernible melody, but also used bits nicked from other people’s records extensively. I loved how in your face it was.
When you went to a nightclub in 1986, the DJ would behave like a radio DJ, taking requests and talking between records. By 1988 he would be silent all night and only play the records he wanted to.
By 1990 it had got all spiritual, with bands like The Beloved, Shamen and Enigma emerging. They used religious themes and hippy vibes.
Then the corporates go into it, and “going clubbing” became a pastime, and it’s all a bit tired nowadays really.