JD Twitch, whose real name was Keith McIvor, has passed away at age 57.
Back in July, he had told everyone about his brain tumor that doctors couldn’t treat, though nobody has shared exactly what happened. Growing up in Balerno, close to Edinburgh, McIvor first made a name for himself in the early ‘90s as one of the main DJs at Pure, a famous party at the Venue. Later, in 1997, he teamed up with Jonnie “JG” Wilkes, and together they started Optimo (Espacio), a legendary weekly event at Glasgow’s Sub Club that ran until 2010. They brought in all sorts of acts—Grace Jones, Peaches, LCD Soundsystem, Cut Copy, and a bunch more—so the party was always wild and unexpected.
The two of them, McIvor and Wilkes, didn’t just throw parties; they also played DJ sets under the Optimo name. Their music was all over the place, mixing acid house, post-punk, techno, funk, hardcore, and dancehall, sometimes in the same night. One of their most famous mixes was the double album How to Kill the DJ [Part II] from 2004, which made a lot of people dance and probably confused a few, too.
Fans really love how Optimo always surprises with their music choices.
In 2009, they started a record label called Optimo Music, helping out artists from Glasgow like Golden Teacher, and also cool dance bands like Factory Floor. Even after their club night ended, they kept DJing together everywhere—Glasgow, London, and even other countries. They had a monthly show on NTS Radio, and just recently, they kicked off a festival called Watching Trees in North Wiltshire, which sounds like a place where you might spot a squirrel or two.
Wilkes wrote a message after McIvor died: “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. Keith’s intensity and passion for life, for music, for creativity and for positive change simply never let up. He was formidable.”
