Optimo

it does sound great, i wonder if i can obtain a copy from the chaps - will investigate

I can't believe that a club with *that* music policy is so popular, how on earth has it worked so well? Lauren, what's their secret? And why haven't clubs all over Britain followed suit?

The first I heard of it was in the business pages of The Sun (!) where they mentioned how the djs hung a mic over the crowd dancing, sampled them, made a song out of the noise and played it back out minutes later. Unreal.

Also, is it always on a Sunday? I thought it was a Friday night thing.

Had that impression the 2 years i spent in Glasgow. The rest of scotland was full of hardcore rave/gabber kids.

then one week three hundred people turned up which we thought was a fluke, but the next week even more turned up and it continued to grow from there. our home, the sub club burned down and we were in temporary homes for three years but returned back 'home' a few months ago. since then it has gone even more ballistic. last sunday there was a blizzard going on outside and we expected it to be really quiet but we had the biggest crowd we have ever had and had to turn a couple of hundred away. it's insane, i tell ya!

the really strange thing for me is that we have a really young crowd who will freak to records they don't know from before they were born! i guess people are bored and want more from their night out. people in scotland also party like their lives depend on it!

we have been lumped in with electroc(l)a$h, post punk, bootlegs, too many djs etc but really, we are none of these things. i follow music, not what anyone else does and doing this in relative isolation up in scotland has been great for us. it means we don't belong to any scene and will always operate outside what is happening in the media. as fads come and go, we will still be here just playing music.

one of the reasons it might have worked is that after ten years of being techno djs, myself and my partner really know how to work a crowd so even though we play all types of music, we put it together in quite an energetic way and mix records that should never work together. i mean who'd have thought mo tucker kept such good time but it's possible to mix live the whole of 'waiting for my man' over some slamming techno track . likewise johnny cash's 'personal jesus' or a whole multitude of other songs. also, using a powerbook live lets me do things that leave people wondering 'how did he do that?'. but most importantly, it's fun - i might play reallly obscure records from the sun city girls, billy childish, the ze or 99 label or whatever but i always know when it is time to give the crowd a dose of fun.

i hope i don't come across all arrogant here. i'm not but i truly love what i do and it is the most enjoyable thing i have ever done in my whole life.

and finally, it CAN work elsewhere - we have taken optimo to new york, paris, helsinki, belfast, munich and stockholm and it worked every time.

if any ILM'ers ever come and don't enjoy themselves i will personally refund their costs for getting here.

presumptuous? never

What is it about this song? Erol Alkan (of Trash) namechecks it in this month's Jockey Slut. I really must try to make it sometime. I missed thema at Auto too, despite being there. I was probably stuck in the murderous beer queue. Unfortunately whenever I'm up in Glasgow I'm usually travelling back down south on a Sunday. I will get there though.

that's what really struck me about the night. the crowd went mad whether they knew a track or not. there is no way to manufacture that kind of enthusiasm, and it's really exciting to see.

gygax, how's the old fmbb doing?

i was in thinking today of crazy things: optimo global tastemaker early 2000s nostalgia. but in a very chris marker exotica way. crazy things.

yes it is.

(i thk i know wht she looks like, really pretty, bowl cut, i thk i saw her at the latest 'mars hotel' gig.)

Next Optimo for me: The Go! Team one, I think. Would like to do Clinic too but don't think I will.

New Year too.

So, when they confirm I have to find somewhere to live and move. And do NYE Optimo. I am sure it is possible somehow...

take the megabus, ronan.

i attended the 1999/2000 hogmanay optimo at the art school..... i don't remember a single thing except a friend of mine stealing an entire case of mini tonic bottles.

And indeed, fully broken the goal and going further now. Astonishing. Per the post, any extra funds raised go to designated charities so we’ll be happy to see the compilation’s proceeds going there if stir doesn’t need them.

Never in doubt etc. Great stuff.

So good to see the target smashed so quickly, so much love for Keith out there

Smashed and still ramping up, I wouldn't be surprised if it hits 75K later today, if not even higher. It's just knowing it's the best and easiest way to show love and support now that matters, I think.

75k+ ♡

And now 80. Honestly really do want it to hit 100, and I am pretty sure it will, and beyond.

More fundraising activity happening this weekend - Glasgow people take note:

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/25317952.queens-park-arena-host-fundraiser-optimos-jd-twitch/

should say as a warning that there is a recent photo of keith on that link that was good to see but also heartbreaking too

Taking the whole family on Sunday. Wonder whether Jonnie will turn up. Might be very tough for him. I notice that the final artist from 8-9pm is tbc.

About to hit 92K -- breathtaking.

Separately, just a quick reminder for folks who might not have seen the other thread that the celebration compilation has reached eighteen submitted tracks; there's a week until the deadline.

The crowdfunder has now more than doubled its goal -- 101K and still going up.

A big update from stir’s wife:

We are truly overwhelmed by your generosity — thank you

Thanks to the incredible kindness of people from all over the world, Keith’s Crowdfunder has now raised over £100,000 — more than double the original target. We are completely blown away.

At this stage, we still don’t know exactly what Keith’s care needs will look like in the months ahead, or how long this level of support will be needed. We’ve already been able to move Keith into a private nursing home where he is much more comfortable, surrounded by loved ones in a space that feels far less institutional. Thanks to your donations, a lot of the stress and uncertainty around taking this first step has been resolved, while also making it much easier for us to source and afford therapies that support his health and wellbeing.

Keith has been deeply emotional and so thankful for the outpouring of kindness — your thoughtful messages have meant the world to him. He’s calmer now, especially since he’s able to spend more time with our beloved dog Zara, who’s even allowed to visit him in his bedroom.

We also wanted to share a little more about the four charities Keith chose to benefit from any excess funds after his care needs are met. Each one holds a special place in his heart:

Glasgow NW Foodbank – A cause Keith has supported for many years, standing in solidarity with those experiencing food poverty in Glasgow.

Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER) – An organisation whose anti-racism work in Scotland he has long admired and believed in deeply.

brainstrust – Their co-created resources have been invaluable in helping us make sense of this devastating diagnosis and find a way forward.

Taki’s Shelter, Crete – A dog sanctuary Keith follows passionately, moved by their incredible compassion for animals — especially since we rescued Zara from Bosnia.

Your support is helping to ease this incredibly difficult time and surround Keith with love, care, and dignity. From the bottom of our hearts: thank you.

With love,
Marissa and Keith

I've been mostly offline during the summer - great for well-being, bad for missing news like this, I'm gut-punched at the moment, tears in my eyes. I've discovered so much great music via Keith. Great to see the crowdfunding going stellar, I'll add my share to it. Off to listen to some choice Optimo mixes...

Hello everyone, I am back for a bit to send my love to Keith and to you all. Keith is very much still with us and will always be with us. I fell in love with Keith the very moment I met him twenty-odd years ago - that is no exaggeration - and that love will never end. There's a huge swathe of connections, connections beyond measure, that I hold dear and that have changed my life. My life is immeasurably improved by having Keith in it.

His wife passed on a message from him at the event on Sunday that we should tell the person next to us and say "FEEL THE LOVE" and everyone there did just that; Shaking hands and sharing love in an outdor amphitheatre in Glasgow. If you are next to someone now, pass that on.

FEEL THE LOVE, to all of you, virtually.

Thank you for sharing that jed_ -- love indeed to you and to us all, from Keith and for him.

Lovely gesture from DFA

https://www.facebook.com/100064732298827/posts/1162679525899780/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

The Rapture played at Optimo first, in the summer of 2002, with Keith and Jonnie flying to New York to DJ James’ DFA party at APT later that same year.

I was at APT for that. Keith's girlfriend couldn't find any drugs so I went outside and bought everyone large coffees from a deli!

(by "everyone" I mean her, the DJs and me)

I wonder about the timing because I met Keith while he was DJing at James's party at Passerby, which memory has me thinking was before the DFA party at APT, but I may be wrong.

actually I want to say the first Optimo gig in NYC was downstairs at Tribeca Grand. Dragostea din Tei samples and Trampled Under Foot both featured iirc. the crowd was absolutely delirious.

the lovely Emma B actually danced on a table when they played Passerby. and Kid Congo Powers was there. heady days!!

several xps to jed - i was at that gig in queens park at the weekend too, i felt it was such a great tribute and very emotional, i got all tearful when 'i feel love' got played

DFA nerds jockeying about when they first heard Optimo in 2002: 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Matador nerds ca. 1998: 😎

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USRf8JZdy1A

<3 to stirry <3

(apropos of everything, would always mix the above in/out of:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHsp2_ijt2c

)

<3 2 stirry

lol i'm far from a DFA nerd and ahem i first heard optimo on hogmany 2000 at the glasgow art school!! 😎😎😎

but yeah lt's not forget mount florida in all this!

Last night in the local supermarket I bumped into a great guy, Paul, that I had been on a housing association board with for a few years a while back. He knew a bit about my background and we had discussed music in the past during breaks on our time on the board so I knew he was an old techno-head from the 90s although we are both in our 50s now (note: EARLY 50s!).

He was wearing an Irdial t-shirt (the techno label) and I commented on it and he asked me straight away if I had had heard about Keith, calling him by his name, not Twitch. Keith is not a very common first name in Scotland. He didn't even know that I knew him but he called Twitch Keith anyway because everyone with certain interests that lives in Glasgow, Edinburgh, even Scotland, knows that Keith is Twitch is Keith.

He had never met Keith and he told me that a friend of his had phoned him, not texted but phoned, to discuss the news about Keith. The friend had been a dance music buyer for Tower records in the 90s but had also never met Keith but had been a regular at Pure then Optimo. He told me that the friend used to order records directly from Akin from Irdial who used to message him directly to ask why so many people in Glasgow were buying Irdial records, and buying them in Tower Records, of all places!

So Paul and I had a long and at times quite emotional discussion in a supermarket aisle about the man himself, who is very much still with us, and the incredible impact he has had and continues to have in Scotland and worldwide, not just in music but with his political and social campaigns and fundraising initiatives. I got quite choked up at times during our talk and i know, for a fact, that this is not an isolated event. People all over Glasgow, Scotland and the world are meeting and talking about Keith and the incredible impact he has had on their lives, music, and wider society.

Glasgow is at a low-ebb in so many ways but Keith and Jonnie changed this city immensely and for the better. They shaped the music community and the wider community. It continues to be absolutely astonishing and transformative.

https://dfarecords.com/products/no-dfa-without-optimo-t-shirt?variant=46113722040489&mc_cid=a5dc5319b1&mc_eid=5c5584de42

this is just a wee thing, but recently i was weighing up whether or not i should drop £30 on the reissue of 'playing it cool and playing it right' by keith hudson. i was on this very site going through the keith hudson threads and i noticed that stirmonster had made a few posts raving about it, and that was what tipped the balance for me, there aren't many folk on this board (or anywhere else on the web) whose opinion i value so highly, i just knew that if keith loves something it's gotta be worth checking out

(and he was right, it's a terrific album and i'm very glad i bought it)

^^ just ICYMI, Keith put together a fantastic two hour Keith Hudson mix for NTS just a couple of months ago

https://www.nts.live/shows/in-focus/episodes/in-focus-keith-hudson-2nd-may-2025

jed, thanks for sharing that. teared up a little thinking about how community is everywhere

xp tysm!

Definitely not an isolated incident, mh. Thank you for replying. FEEL THE LOVE to you.

A note for reference that the fundraiser compilation will appear tomorrow morning my time, late afternoon UK. Once fully live, I'll be starting up a separate thread on here about it.

The compilation is live.

One More Tune: ILX and Friends Celebrate JD Twitch

JG Wilkes will be doing a special mix for Keith on 6 Music at 12 Midday today

listening now... great to hear some banging industrial acid on the normally staid 6Music airwaves

https://www.theransomnote.com/music/news/a-rough-guide-to-optimo-music-selectors-select/

Lovely and heartfelt survey of notable Optimo Music releases

I got my benefit Optimo/DFA shit in the mail the other day!

Me too, great shirt.

this is cool - https://www.theransomnote.com/music/news/a-rough-guide-to-optimo-music-selectors-select/

Just linked a couple of posts back!

bah yes apologies manuel

Thank you for everything DJ Twitch.

Wishing you a peaceful journey through the cosmos.

Sad news. Fucking sad news ;_;

Been looking for links to any of the classic Rinse Mixes of theirs -- would really love to hear some of that old patter right now. All I found from a Soundcloud search is a very limited selection hosted by the Rinse account, which I will dig through, and a few uploads by other accounts which don't seem to load for me at all?

Realizing now that most of the patter is JG Wilkes, ah well. Maybe stirmonster didn’t really fuck with the Rinse shows so much?

wish I'd read stirmonster's first post in this thread back when he posted it: Optimo

maybe I wouldn't have waited ten years to see Optimo play

glad I did manage it - was a good time

rest in peace

I found a few shows in my archives and uploaded this work of the DJ selector canon. (If there's any issue I'll take it down forthwith.)

The final Rinse show.

https://soundcloud.com/daniel-viborg/optimo-20151202-rinse-final-show

nice - thank you!

For sure!