JD Twitch, one half of the celebrated Scottish DJ and production duo Optimo, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour which he has been told is untreatable.
The musician, real name Keith McIvor, announced the news in a post on Instagram. He said: “My symptoms weren’t immediately diagnosed, and my health declined very rapidly over just a few weeks. Because of how rapidly everything progressed I haven’t been able to share this news personally with everyone I care about so this feels the clearest and kindest way to let you know what’s happening.”
McIvor had cancelled several recent gigs as he underwent testing. He added: “I am currently trying to process this news and prioritising spending precious time with the people I love.”
Optimo, with McIvor alongside Jonnie Wilkes (AKA JG Wilkes), are icons of Scottish and indeed British dance music culture, with their punkish and passionate attitude to DJing resulting in sets of astonishing power. Hopping from techno to disco, industrial to soft rock, their sets cover huge stylistic ground, and their weekly Optimo Espacio residency at Glasgow’s Sub Club between 1997 and 2010 became a pilgrimage for global dance fans.
The pair are musicians in their own right, creating ambitious remixes for artists including Florence + the Machine and Manic Street Preachers; McIvor also remixed the likes of Primal Scream, Hot Chip and Nightmares on Wax.
Optimo also created acclaimed DJ mix albums such as How to Kill the DJ (Part 2), Optimo Present Psyche Out and an entry in the mix series by London nightclub Fabric. They also founded a label, Optimo Music, which spawned various spinoff labels.
McIvor posted a link to a messageboard for fans to share messages of support.
