One half of the Scottish DJ duo Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch has announce he has an untreatable brain tumour.
Anyone who knows me knows I hold Optimo in high esteem, the Optimo Espacio duo of Keith (JD Twitch) and Jonnie (JG Wilkes) have been an inspiration as a DJ in how they’ve incompromisingly mixed together different strands and genres over the years, and followed their ears especially when what they were playing was not popular or reviled by some factions of the dance community.
So I’m very sorry and sad to hear the news that Keith / JD Twitch has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. He put out a statement below today, and linked to a website where you can leave Keith and his family a message.
Over the past few weeks I have received lots of enquiries about my health having missed several gigs since being admitted to the hospital. Following extensive tests I’ve been diagnosed with a brain tumour and I have been told my condition is untreatable. As you can imagine, I am currently trying to process this news and prioritising spending precious time with the people I love.
I know this may be difficult news to receive through social media, and I’m sorry if it feels sudden or impersonal. My symptoms weren’t immediately diagnosed, and my health declined very quickly 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 like the clearest and kindest way to let you know what’s happening.
I truly appreciate everyone’s love and concern, it means the world to me. I would really love to hear from you, but it is too difficult for me to reply and process your communications directly. Please respect my privacy and space, and only contact me via the message board we have set up. This will allow me to receive your messages in a way that feels more manageable, with the help of my loved ones, who are supporting me through this difficult time.
Love Keith.
You can leave a message at jdtwitch.com.
Optimo are due to play two Irish gigs this August
August 16th – The Racket Space, Dublin (Free tickets) Noon to 7pm show.
August 16th – Love Is A Stranger – Ballyvolane, Cork
Optimogeddon: The final Optimo club night from 2010 is DJ magic
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
