“We are utterly heartbroken… the impact he had was immense. He was a titan of UK music and culture”: Tributes paid to JD Twitch of Optimo

Sad news from Glasgow: JD Twitch, one half of the influential DJ duo Optimo has died, aged just 57.

DJ Twitch, whose real name was Keith McIvor, had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour earlier this year. His DJ partner in Optimo, Jonnie Wilkes (aka JG Wilkes) announced that he passed away on Friday in Glasgow’s Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.

“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,” Wilkes said.

“I am forever grateful for everything he bestowed on me, both as a partner in music and as a friend.”

McIvor was one of the generation of DJs whose lives were changed forever by the acid house explosion of the late 1980s. He founded Pure, a members-only Edinburgh club that was central to the growth of the dance scene in Scotland. But he quickly grew bored with that scene’s musical homogeneity, and in 1997, together with Wilkes, founded a new club in Glasgow, named after a track by early '80s band Liquid Liquid.

Optimo became known for its diverse music policy, which covered funk, punk and the emerging electroclash scene. McIvor and Wilkes began recording and remixing under the Optimo name and launched an Optimo label. The club itself ran weekly for over a decade, until 2010.

Tributes have been coming in from friends and contemporaries. David Holmes wrote on Instagram: “It was an honour to know this beautiful soul. RIP you wonderful man.

"We have lost a true great. Yr legacy will live on forever. Sending sincere condolences to Keith’s family and inner family circle.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Avery has written of McIvor: “He was an all-time great. Together you gave countless people endless hours of joy, excitement and togetherness. That’s not to mention the generations of DJs you inspired. Sending all of the love to you, my friend. You will no doubt continue this legacy.”

Bicep said that: “We are both utterly heartbroken. The impact Keith and Optimo have had on us is immense, he was a titan of UK music and culture. He was such an incredibly kind, warm, genuine, caring person. Gone far too soon.

"We love you Keith. Sending all the love in the world to you Jonnie and Keiths family. Thinking about yous every day.”

Wilkes ended his tribute to his creative partner by thanking the hospice staff and saying: “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.”