OPEN – Overview
OPEN is about doing things properly. Underground house music deserves the right setting, the right sound, and the right atmosphere — and that’s what we put first every time.
Letting our events do the talking.
Our nights are built around one simple idea: quality before everything else. From the music policy to the soundsystem to the way we welcome people, OPEN reflects years of experience and a genuine love for the culture. We don’t need to shout about it — the care and detail speak for themselves.
OPEN is led by two long-time DJs and promoters from around Milton Keynes. Both have been immersed in the underground scene for decades.
Ashley Roberts began DJing in 1996, and ran a record shop until 2001. This enabled his first reach into playing local venues by the late 90’s and into the 00’s despite being a fresh faced 18 year old.
In the early 2000s Ashley became part of the Fazed Music team, a collective that hosted nights across Buckinghamshire and beyond. Fazed events included takeovers at Ministry of Sound alongside brands such as Naked Music and Defected. Fazed also hosted events at Turnmills for their ‘City Loud’ Saturday nights. These events led to direct DJ bookings for the Ministry of Sound’s ‘Rulin’ Saturday nights from 2001 – 2003.
Ashley used the Fazed brand to launch a respected record label, releasing music globally through a number of distributors in digital & vinyl formats. Releases & remixes came from artists such as Demarkus Lewis, Miles Maeda, Giom, Natural Rhythm, John Larner, The Latenight Society & more.
Alongside his work behind the decks, Ashley has always been passionate about sound — owning and running the custom sound system that powers OPEN events today. His dedication, experience, and commitment provide the foundation for everything OPEN does.
Lee Clarke has been part of the Milton Keynes scene for almost 25 years. He’s played for most of the city’s major promotions, with residencies at Ultra Vegas, Coco Loco, and Trapped. He is perhaps best known for founding Tahanan, a party that brought underground DJs — both local and established — to unique city spaces like the old bus station. Guest DJ’s included internationally recognised names such as: Eddie Richards, Terry Francis, Jay Tripwire and more.
From there, Lee moved into production with production partner Dudley Strangeways, releasing music on respected labels including Large Music (Chicago), King Street Sounds (New York), and several European imprints.
After taking a step back from music during the pandemic to focus on family life, Lee is now proud to co-run OPEN — a way to reconnect with the scene, share good underground music, and meet like-minded people once again.
Underground house music, done right — music, sound, and community at the heart of every night.
Over the years, we’ve experienced how special underground house music can be when it’s done right — and how easily it loses its spark when it’s not. OPEN was created to give our audience events that feel authentic: music-led, community-driven, and focused on quality at every level.
Music with integrity: house music in all its forms — soulful, deep, tougher — always underground.
Sound without compromise: our own system, tuned carefully for the dancefloor and room.
Accessible to all: fair entry prices so nobody is excluded. Always offering discounted early bird ticket options.
Community loyalty: Mailing lists subscribers & previous ticket buyers always offered discounted ‘Early Bird’ tickets before general release.
Always moving forward: headline guests alongside residents, keeping the experience fresh while nurturing local connection.
OPEN isn’t about hype or scale; it’s about trust. Each event is crafted with care, giving people confidence that the music will be right, the sound will be right, and the atmosphere will be right.
As we grow, our aim is to keep building that trust — to bring OPEN to more venues and more communities while never losing sight of the ethos that started it all: great music, played properly, for people who care.