Esteemed DJ dies ‘too soon’ after diagnosed with untreatable brain tumor
JD Twitch, one half of the Scottish DJ duo Optimo (Espacio), has died following a terminal cancer diagnosis earlier this year. He was 57.
Twitch, whose real name is Keith McIvor, died peacefully at the Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow, Scotland on Friday, Sept. 19, his fellow DJ Jonnie Wilkes (JG Wilkes) wrote on Instagram .
"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 wrote. "I am forever grateful for everything he bestowed on me, both as a partner in music and as a friend."
McIvor's death came after the esteemed DJ revealed that he was diagnosed with an untreatable brain tumor earlier this year.
"My symptoms weren't immediately diagnosed, and my health declined very quickly over just a few weeks," McIvor wrote in a July 3 post on Instagram . "Because of how rapidly everything progressed, I haven't been able to share this news personally with everyone I care about, so this feels like the clearest and kindest way to let you know what's happening."
"I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my journey in music, from the early days of Pure in Edinburgh in the '90s and through the past 28 years of Optimo (Espacio)," McIvor continued. "Jonnie and I have been lucky enough to play out music at countless clubs and festivals throughout the world, and it has been one of the greatest honors of my life to make a career out of something I love. We have connected with so many beautiful souls through our shared passion for music."
McIvor was born in Edinburgh where established the club night Pure, which became a core event in the Scottish house and techno scene in the 1990s, according to The Guardian .
The DJ later moved to Glasgow and met Wilkes, with whom he founded Optimo at the city's Sub Club in 1997. Optimo also became an influential event that hosted acts such as LCD Soundsystem, Franz Ferdinand, Cut Copy, The Rapture, TV on the Radio and Hot Chip, according to Billboard . The weekly Sunday event ran until 2010 with more than 500 people attending the final performance, the BBC reported .
Outside of Optimo, McIvor was a producer and sought-after remixer for artists including Róisín Murphy, Manic Street Preachers and Florence + the Machine. He also founded Optimo's record label and was behind acclaimed compilation albums such as "How to Kill the DJ (Part Two)." McIvor also released music under the alias Tomorrow the Rain Will Fall Upwards and curated the soundtrack to "Beats," a 2019 film set in the '90s Scotland rave scene, The Guardian reported.
"Keith's intensity and passion for life, for music, for creativity and for positive change simply never let up. 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," Wilkes wrote in his Instagram post.
"My thoughts are with Keith's family and friends. Thank you to them and the extended group who have tirelessly supported Keith and each other in the last few months. Thank you to the staff at The Hospice who made this last while as good as it possibly could be," he continued. "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…'"
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