Meet the brilliant minds of LOOSE.fm
They’re coming to Design District this summer – and from their googly-eyed HQ to their joy-filled, eclectic playlists – the world is about to get that much brighter.
Take a walk through the always-stunning buildings of Design District this summer and – bam! zap! – you’re in a comic-book world as two ludicrously brilliant, lit-up googly eyes welcome you to the new home of LOOSE.fm.
If you’re not familiar with LOOSE.fm, then you’re about to be. It’s a radio community that stands for breaking all the cultural rules as we know them. “It’s about the triple X: eclectic, experimental and ecstatic culture, community and creative collaboration,” says founder Mark Freeman.
“I grew up on comics like Beano and Oink! which quickly moved into heavier, more conscious stuff like Crisis and Watchmen, so my view of culture has always been through a sort of bag-of-Skittles lens but with artistic depth. I felt like music platforms were either ultra-serious or ultra-frivolous, so instead I wanted to create something that could embrace both highbrow and lowbrow. Something that had a fun, joyful energy but integrity as well.”
LOOSE.fm launched in 2021 and now features over 300 contributors, DJs and producers worldwide. Deejay Nye, a Filipino British DJ, promoter and co-founder of Half East Records, a collective that celebrates East and Southeast Asian DJs and artists, underlines the brilliance of LOOSE.fm’s impact: “From the start, I felt free to express myself. No matter how experimental I want to be, they give me the space to be fully myself.”
There’s no place like a real-world home
LOOSE.fm’s first home was in a basement in Hoxton, but in 2023, they lost the space and moved to working solely online, something Mark wasn’t convinced by. “Every community needs a space. There’s a lot of talk around how the internet is a home for communities, but I think humans need real-time connection, a place where we can bring together people who love music and culture – that’s the important bit.”
“In the early days of a lot of music genres, it’s often people just getting together and playing different kinds of stuff,” says Mark. “Disco wasn’t all sequins, Abba and flares; it was people in a sweaty room playing Latin, funk, rock and jazz with a sort of shared sensibility. So I’m interested in what ideas might ferment if we create a joyful, physical crossroads. It’s valuable from both a human and cultural perspective.”
Then something unexpected happened. “Design District approached us and asked if we’d like to move there because they can see the need for platforms that support culture, conversation and connection,” says Mark. “We absolutely fell in love with the place. It’s such an amazing centre for creative minds, businesses and makers, and you’ve got Ravensbourne University London plus the creative hub of the O2 there. We realised we could be the cultural linchpin that could pull all these strands together. So in our gut, we just immediately thought that this is the spot for us.”
But how do you translate eclectic, experimental and ecstatic into the built environment? “We asked Josh Peasley and Harrison Marshall at CAUKIN Studio, who are really amazing guys and fantastic architects, because of their brilliant Skip House [a 2023 part-art installation, part-social commentary on homelessness that turned a dumpster into a home where Harrison still lives],” says Mark.
“We thought from a storytelling and sustainability point of view, they’d be able to come up with something unique, and our brief was we wanted ‘excellent functionality with epic folly’. And they did come up with some really wild, head-scratching ideas, but nothing was really connecting. Then one day, they showed us this idea: a shipping container with a pair of googly eyes on it.”
It immediately connected – especially because there’s a brilliant idea at its heart. “Harrison said, ‘LOOSE.fm is a voice, so let’s put you guys in the mouth.’ It immediately made me laugh. I showed it to my founding partner and chief of strategy, Craig Wills, and it made him laugh too.”
“CAUKIN Studio was founded on the need for community infrastructure, so working with LOOSE.fm at Design District felt like a natural next collaboration,” explains Josh Peasley from CAUKIN Studio. “It will provide a space for local cultural exchange and global broadcast and is designed to stimulate playfulness. We’re committed to the use of locally sourced materials and this project features the creative reimagination of industrial materials.”
The traffic-stopping structure is made out of a repurposed shipping container, which has been assessed and insulated for acoustic performance, while those incredible illuminated eyeballs have been animated by Joshua Space, a lighting designer and founder of Space Studio.
“I’m an artist and designer working primarily with light-based sculpture, and I love working with people to enable them to bring their creative visions to life,” Space says. “Designing three-metre eyes with dynamic lighting atop a shipping container in an area with occasionally inclement weather felt like a good challenge. Also, electronic music has been a big part of my life since I was a teenager, so there’s an important connection for me to what LOOSE.fm is bringing to Design District.”
The impression is of a big face with the eyes providing a subtle nod to the OOs in LOOSE.fm and the service window revealing a custom DJ booth to mirror the function of a mouth. Underlining that collaborative community mantra, fellow Design District makers Uncommon Projects made the bespoke banquette seating while bike bag creators Wizard Works designed the retro-inspired cushion to go on top.
London calling
From casual outdoor seating (spread around the area for visitors to come to chill and listen) to a space where they’re planning to host partnerships and community-centric events, LOOSE.fm is also thinking of ways to stay ad-free. “Working with our community, we can provide plans, ideas, strategy, insight for brands about what their audiences would like to see, and we hope to connect designers, musicians and artists in the community with brands so they can get commercial opportunities too,” explains Mark.
LOOSE.fm is also encouraging Greenwich Peninsula’s community and beyond to get involved. “Our plan is to expand the programme into music and speech, do more live podcasts – especially in the morning – and bring more visual art into it as well, using our social channels, and all of it aligning with the eclectic, experimental, ecstatic idea. People are very much welcome to get involved – all they need to do is email [email protected]. We take every submission seriously, but the thing that really stands out is if someone is bringing together several genres or offering up an eclectic idea around lots of genres.”
The heart of LOOSE.fm is in this new purpose-built home at Design District – the perfect location for a game-changing community to take over the world. As Deejay Nye enthuses: “I’ve lived in the area for over 10 years, and honestly, I can’t wait to have a local radio station so close by. It’s essential to have spaces that bring the community together and give rise to creative freedom.
“For Half East Records, we can share our stories through music and conversation. Earlier this year, I was part of the year of the snake celebrations at the Peninsula, and it was emotional to see so many people come together to embrace and celebrate our heritage. A space like this allows our community to grow, to discover emerging talent and welcome guests from around the world to play with us.” LOOSE.fm is only just getting started. Kapow!
Your eclectic, experimental and ecstatic playlist for summer: 12 must-hear tracks from the collective genius behind LOOSE.fm
- Let Love Flow For Peace, by Sunbear (selected by Fabio Coverini)
- Tu Amor, by Mamacita (selected by Something Like That)
- Shoshana, by Nuyorican Soul (selected by Leandro Fidelis)
- Ultramarine, by Lone (selected by Unexpected Items)
- Walking On Sunshine, by Eddy Grant (selected by Wafa Love)
- Sunshine Dub, by Prince Douglas (selected by Fly Away Hearts)
- Na Batida Do Agogo, by Grupo Batuque (selected by Hudson’s Choice)
- Pinoy Funk, by Regalado (selected by Deejay Nye)
- Run Tell That, by The Lewis Express & Chip Wickham (selected by Here On Earth)
- Sunny, by Yambu (selected by Jam Jiva)
- Best Mamgu Ever, by Underworld (selected by Hamoo)
- When I Think of You, by Janet Jackson (selected by Han+Fran)
Check out the full and exclusive The Peninsulist summer LOOSE.fm playlist.
Images by Charles Emerson
