A love letter to Optimo
For almost three decades, Optimo has reshaped lives and stomped its legacy into dancefloors. After the heartbreaking loss of Keith McIvor – one half of the duo – we hear why the culture they built can never truly die
You enter the club. A song about making sandwiches on the dancefloor blares through the speakers: you know you’re in the right place.
For the past 28 years, Glasgow DJ duo Optimo (Espacio) has been comprised of Jonnie Wilkes, aka JG Wilkes, and Keith McIvor, aka JD Twitch. When Keith sadly passed away in September, I thought Optimo might change or, worse, stop playing. But what’s become clear is that the spirit of Optimo culture hasn’t dimmed at all. Keith lives on through the fans and the music, as Jonnie so valiantly carries on the Optimo legacy.
In the four short years I've lived in Glasgow, I’ve learned that Optimo culture lives and breathes through its fans: people who show up, are always ready for a dance, and who really give themselves to the music. At Optimo’s Berkeley Suite residency, the crowd has always carried a mature energy, helped by the ‘no-phones’ policy or a feeling that the dancefloor isn’t overtly drug-focused. This may be because many Optimo fans are those in their 30s, 40s and 50s, who might be at The Berkeley Suite on the Saturday and looking after the kids on the Sunday. This amazing mishmash of age groups, all attending in the same spirit of ‘dressing to sweat’, is something that feels very rare, and also beautiful – it is a refreshing respite from the polarising oldie take that ‘raving isn’t what it was in the 90s’ (which I don’t think anyone has ever disagreed with).
There is always a respectful, interested and safe crowd at an Optimo gig, giving you the freedom to properly lose your limbs. This doesn’t seem to change wherever you attend a night, be that in Glasgow, Glastonbury, or even at their own festival, Watching Trees. It’s surely this crowd behind Watching Trees landing a Best Festival nomination, and Optimo’s haven The Berkeley Suite being shortlisted for Best Club in DJ Mag.
Optimo nights have also mastered the art of building a set, creating layers and call-backs between lyrics and melodies, while moving effortlessly between BPMs and genres. This might mean jumping from a percussion-heavy ESG track to an electro swinger like Plastique by Crème De Menthe, or a Baltimore club track like Bring in the Katz by KW Griff, to a head-banger like Damaged Goods by Gang of Four, before finishing with a track like Lay All Your Love On Me by ABBA or Hung Up by Madonna. The track selection is playful and experimental, making every set feel new and exhilarating. But Optimo also wraps you into a sentimental relationship with setlists, re-playing tracks that are known and almost ‘rehearsed’ by their fans. These are tracks like She Has a Way by Bobby O, Goodbye Horses by Q Lazzarus, and just about any Liquid Liquid track.
Optimo have mastered the art of reading and controlling a crowd. Once I even saw Jonnie sitting at the back of the dancefloor, quite literally reading the crowd. This isn’t to say that Optimo always gives you what you want as a listener. In fact, part of the cult appeal is being constantly challenged with music that’s exciting, strange, or sometimes even difficult to listen to. Being an Optimo fan often means learning to love, or at least ‘get’, the tracks that prick your ears up. To some, that might sound undesirable or even a bit pretentious, but I think it makes the whole experience far more engaging. You’re not just dancing; you’re thinking, reacting, and becoming a tiny bit critical on the dancefloor. UK clubbing culture can often take itself too seriously, but Optimo instead embraces humour and playfulness in a way that feels unique – like playing the track Sandwiches by Detroit Grand Pubahs. Why not end with a fun song that everyone knows, to really piss off the ‘heads’?
Seeing Optimo since Keith’s passing has been a surprisingly uplifting experience. A quick glance at any comment section across socials reveals the sheer number of people whose lives have been touched by Optimo’s permeating culture and generous, ever-adventurous approach to music. Despite only recently becoming a part of Optimo culture, it has given me countless unforgettable nights dancing to new music with friends and strangers alike. Optimo and its culture can never die.
Optimo (Espacio) with Nurse (live), The Berkeley Suite, Glasgow, 13 Dec
Subculture with Optimo and Telford, Sub Club, Glasgow, 27 Dec
Good Clean Fun with Optimo (Espacio) and Amy Rodgers, Namak Mandi, Glasgow, 28 Dec