LOOSEN UP first started back in the Spring of 1991, when DJ Nick Hook and a group of close friends formed a new club based on their common love of house music and the experience of the summer of 1990 in Ibiza. The inspiration came from their favourite clubs such as Gosh, and DJs such as Andy Weatherall and Danny Rampling.

With a music policy of uplifting Italian and Balearic house, and a blissed-out and loved-up vibe, the new night was originally simply known as Up. Launched as a weekly Saturday night in North London, the club soon picked up a loyal following of young clubbers, and a growing fan club for resident DJ Nick Hook.

A move into the West End followed, with a monthly night at The Regents Palace Hotel, and a one-off multimedia event at the Scala Cinema in Kings Cross, which included DJs, live bands, and films.

But it was in 1992, with the new name of Loosen Up and a new monthly venue - The Soho Theatre Club - that the night really took off.

It was a time when a new breed of British house DJs were producing their own music and creating a new sound that was to become known as progressive house. A fresh, new London scene was emerging and Loosen Up was at its forefront. Guest DJs in those early days included Paul Daly (Leftfield), Orde Miekle (Slam), Darren Emerson (Underworld), Charlie Hall (Drum Club) and Billy Nasty, all of whom went on to become international superstar DJs and producers. Meanwhile resident DJ and promoter Nick Hook co-ran and produced for the influential early progressive house label, Om Records.

Loosen Up became known for its quality house music, but also for it's unique uplifting and friendly atmosphere, generated by a young, up-for-it following of party people. Over the next few years Loosen Up increased its following, while it moved around various venues in central London, including Prohibition, Cinecitta Discotecca, Bar Rumba and Grays. It also hosted many nights in the VIP room and the bar at the Ministry Of Sound. In these years DJs like Sasha, John Digweed, Parks and Wilson, Tall Paul and Gordon Kaye all joined the impressive list of guests DJs who played to the Loosen Up family of clubbers.

In 1995 Nick Hook and Terry Marks (who was now co-resident and co-promoter at Loosen Up), decided to join up with Joel Xavier and Andy Lekker from Whoop Records to form a new weekly club. The resultant collaboration was called Whoop It Up, and it ran every Friday night for five and a half years, first at the Gardening Club and then at The Velvet Room in London's West End.

Whoop It Up became one of the top progressive house nights in the UK, and all the best DJs wanted to play at the club with the most up-for-it crowd in London. John Digweed, Sasha, Seb Fontaine, Timo Maas, Dave Seamen, Danny Howells, Lee Burridge, Slacker, Andy Morris, Mark Pichiotti, Chris Fortier, Colin Hamilton, Nigel Dawson and Nick Warren were all among the guest DJs who joined the residents at Whoop It Up between 1995 and 2001.

All good things come to an end, and when Whoop It Up had run its course, Nick Hook relaunched Loosen Up in 2002. Since then the Loosen Up DJs have been playing their blend of uplifting, funky, chunky, dirty and progressive house music at various venues all over London, including Infinity, Propaganda, The Fortress, Babushka, Igloo, No.3 Bar, The Tatty Bogle, The Retox Bar and The Dry Bar.

The parties always attract a lively crowd of up-for-it clubbers who know their house music and make the parties an uplifting experience. Recent guest DJs have included Andy Morris (Kiss FM/Narcotic Thrust), Mike Monday (Kinky Vinyl), Joel Xavier (Whoop), Different Gear, and top Russian DJ Pavel Loginov.
Loosen Up has recently hosted rooms at top nights at The Key Club, SE1 and Hidden in London, and has monthly residencies at the Rinky Dink and Retox DJ bars in the capital.
With a new bunch of talented resident DJs joining the ever present Mr Hook, Loosen Up is set to keep rocking the noughties as it did in the nineties.