Optimo’s JD Twitch dies aged 57
Optimo’s Keith McIvor, AKA JD Twitch, has died.
News of the pioneering Scottish DJ’s passing was confirmed via the DJ duo’s Instagram page today, Saturday 20th September. It comes just three months after McIvor shared he had been diagnosed with an untreatable brain tumour. He was 57.
“It’s with immense sadness that I’m writing to tell you Keith passed away peacefully yesterday at 2.06pm at The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow,” the statement, written by McIvor’s longtime collaborator and fellow Optimo co-founder Jonnie Wilkes, aka JG Wilkes, said.
“In a 28 year partnership he changed my life immeasurably and together we took our work in directions and to places few people are lucky enough to explore. I am forever grateful for everything he bestowed on me, both as a partner in music and as a friend.”
“He was formidable. His belief in people and the idea that standing together, that our collective strength is powerful was unwavering. I loved him for that.
After thanking hospice staff and other supporters, he added: “Keith left us far too soon. He will go now to travel those space-ways but I know his energy remains in every one of us who had the privilege of knowing him. I love you forever Keith.
“‘All things pass, into the night…’”
McIvor was a hugely influential figure in the British and Scottish club scene, known for founding one of Glasgow’s most famous club nights, Optimo Espacio, held at Sub Club on Sunday nights from 1997 to 2010. Entirely dictated by the tastes and record collections of JD Twitch and JG Wilkes, the party set a new standard for clubbing with its fearless programming and inclusive policies, pushing everything from techno, electro, and post-punk to disco, funk and even pop classics with a chaotic and experimental spirit.
Last year, the duo celebrated the 25th anniversary of their landmark club night with a two-part double-vinyl compilation. In a DJ Mag review of the project, Kristan J. Caryl described ‘Optimo 25’ as “the sound of history”, distilling the insatiable energy of over 500 events into a “snapshot of the music they believed in then and stand by now.”
A crowdfunder campaign was launched by McIvor’s wife, Marissa to support his urgent care needs as he battled the illness, which affected his speech, mobility and independence. Optimo-affiliated artists including GK Machine, Tony Morris, Isa Gordon and Semispecific Ensemble, also came together to play at a Glasgow fundraising event earlier this summer, which raised £147,411. The event was originally planned by McIvor himself as a fundraiser for Glasgow NW Foodbank.
McIvor also ran the influential Optimo Music label, which continued his legacy of diverse and experimental musical exploration with releases from Factory Floor, Big Ned, Divorce, Dollskabeat, Chris Carter and Saint Sappho. He also continued to DJ and make music in the years following the club night, releasing projects including the ‘May Day’ EP and the ‘Sketches for Winter’ mixtape on Optimo Music, performing alongside JG Wilkes at Galvanizer’s Yard, Love International and Sonar, and launching their own festival, Watching Trees, in collaboration with The Ransom Note.
Read the full statement from JG Wilkes below, and see tributes to JD Twitch from his peers and collaborators.
