JD Twitch influential Scottish DJ and Optimo co-founder dies at 57

JD Twitch, born Keith McIvor, dies at 57 in Glasgow hospice after brain tumour; remembered for Optimo legacy.

Keith McIvor, the Scottish DJ and producer best known as JD Twitch of the duo Optimo, has died at the age of 57, The Guardian reported on Saturday. McIvor passed away at Glasgow’s Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice after being diagnosed earlier this year with an untreatable brain tumour, which he disclosed publicly in July.

His longtime DJ partner Jonnie Wilkes, known as JG Wilkes, confirmed the news, paying tribute to McIvor as both a collaborator and a friend. “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 in a statement quoted by The Guardian.

McIvor, who grew up in Edinburgh, first became immersed in club culture while studying in Glasgow in the mid-1980s. He began DJing electro and electronic body music in Edinburgh before moving into house and techno during the UK’s acid house boom. His early club night Pure became central to Scotland’s dance scene, despite being launched under unusual circumstances after an earlier event was shut down by police.

In 1997, McIvor and Wilkes launched Optimo (Espacio) at Glasgow’s Sub Club. The night quickly became renowned for its eclectic programming, spanning punk, new wave, electroclash, and experimental sounds alongside dance music. Hosting live acts such as LCD Soundsystem and TV on the Radio, Optimo gained international acclaim until its weekly residency ended in 2010. The duo continued to tour globally under the Optimo name.

McIvor was also a prolific producer and remixer, credited with over 100 remixes for artists including Franz Ferdinand, Róisín Murphy, Florence + the Machine, and Manic Street Preachers. He founded the label Optimo Music and curated film soundtracks, including the 2019 Scottish rave drama Beats.

Wilkes remembered McIvor as “formidable” in his passion for music and belief in collective strength. “Keith left us far too soon,” he said.