JD Twitch RIP: remembering the Optimo DJ’s generous and uncompromising spirit

His boundless record collection first made a splash in early ‘90s Edinburgh, where he ran the hugely influential night, Pure. Over the next three decades, his and Wilkes’ ever-expanding crates and bloody-minded mixing style lit up clubs and festivals around the world, from AVA Belfast and Glastonbury to Watching Trees, the weekender they co-founded with the Ransom Note crew in 2022. Scroll through his Soundcloud page and you’ll find tribute mixes to David Lynch, Arthur Russell and Andrew Weatherall alongside hours of 1980s Belgian new beat, “tranquility” sets, house party tunes, and picks from his Autonomous Africa label, where all proceeds went to the Mtandika Mission in Tanzania and to Tafi Atome community studio in Ghana.

When identikit DJ sets and playlist-led streaming platforms are a dime a dozen, JD Twitch’s wide-open approach offered something more. To have the likes of him and Wilkes guide you through such a dizzying array of music with such grace, fluidity and oomph was mind-blowing and life-changing for so many. 

Following news of his diagnosis with an untreatable brain tumor in early July this year, Wilkes has continued to play Optimo’s scheduled tour dates, dedicating each set to his musical brother in arms. The shows of love for McIvor demonstrated by audiences at these shows has just further proven the mark he leaves behind, and the impact he will continue to have on underground dance music communities around the world.

Here, 18 friends, fans and peers pay tribute to McIvor, a true one-off who will be missed by many.