"All the most interesting should be sought below radars"

On July 2 and 3, Moscow will host the Outline Electronic Music and Arts Festival, which is not taken to the impressive company of musicians for everyone . One of them is Kit Makivor, known as JD Twitch, a member of the famous Scottish duo Optimo DJS, the founder of the cult Sunday parties of Optimo Espacio in Glasgow, which were Grace Jones, Jarvis Coker, The Kills and LCD SoundSystem. JD Twitch, which has been in the profession for 30 years, is one of the most authoritative British underground DJs, a specialist in the rare music of the 1980s and 1990s, the owner of interesting Optimo Music, Optimo Tracks and Autonomous Africa labels.

- Do you have a role model among the DJs? Maybe someone from the older generation?

-Only the radiodage John saw-in the 1980s and 1990s, when I was growing up, he was the main person on the BBC radio. He led a night show and introduced me to a huge amount of interesting music, which I would never hear otherwise, as well as the idea that you do not need to hide in one genre, I need to listen and love different music. Among the club DJs, I can not allocate someone. I admire many, but I have no heroes among them. I have long been a DJ-I started back in 1987.

Last radio show from JD Twitch

- How did it happen that you became a DJ?

- I have always been a person who had the most records. As far as I remember, I was asked to bring music to a party. I was not going to become a DJ. It turned out by itself, because I am very interested in music. One friend of mine launched a club party in 1990-this year, dance music suddenly rushed and became interesting to everyone. And since I did not DJ at his parties, suddenly I felt popular. There I realized that DJ is my job.

- You mean Pure parties in Edinburgh. What did you play then?

-Early Techno and House, as well as the Belgian rave-plastic and British. Yes, any dance electronics that appeared then - it was the time of her stormy heyday. It was a romantic time - the electronics then progressed at light speed.

- They say that you have extraordinary DJ skills - you can reduce anything with anything.

- (Laughs.) I try, and sometimes it turns out. It seems to me that I am strong in finding such tracks about which no one would have thought that they can play one after another, but I can find a way to connect them. The energy remains the same, and the musical fabric is very changing - roughly speaking, from technology to disco, from disco to rock.

The recent JD Twitch "So Low" collection is devoted to the classics and rarenesses of Shinta Pop and Industrial in the 1980s

- Do you play with vinyl and do not use computer programs?

- I have been using Ableton Live , and for more than 15 years, and I definitely play with records. My setup: Two vinyl turntables and a laptop with Ableton Live to launch your own versions of the tracks or, say, an additional bit. I need Ableton Live to do what I can’t do on the turntables. So interesting - first of all, to me.

- Bring Vinyl to Moscow?

- Of course. If only the turntables were of good quality, otherwise recently in the clubs they put some players. The needles jump, and you have to completely switch to the laptop.

- Let us return to your story: why did you, fashionable DJ from Edinburgh, left the city, the popular Pure party and moved to Glasgow to establish the Optimo Espacio party there?

- I lived in Glasgow before, when I studied at the university. I liked it here. The Pure party by that time was almost 10 years - this is a suitable time to finish one thing and start a new one. Therefore, I went into Glasgow and concentrated on Optimo .

It is difficult to sell records - people do not buy them.

- What did you initially imagine Optimo ?

“We were given to us on Sunday.” We did not imagine that it could become popular - the day is completely inappropriate. And they just began to make a party for friends, whom we have many. At that time, the Scottish clubs played mainly hard technology, and we wanted other music - more fun and sexy. I began to play other records, interfering genres and directions. On Sundays, I could experiment. Suddenly it became popular - Optimo Espacio gathered more people than many Saturday parties in Glasgow.

- Why, how do you think?

- We appeared at the right time in the right place, and we managed to win the audience. We invested so much energy, imagination and passion in the party that this could not remain unified. We constantly invented some chips, invited not only DJs, but also interesting musicians with concerts. The public liked this, which is tired of monotonous music and monotonous club parties.

- Optimo Espacio performed a lot of famous musicians - from Grace Jones to LCD SoundSystem . Whose performance is especially important for you?

- We borrowed the name “Optimo” from the song of the American group Liquid Liquid . In the early 2000s, they gathered again to play the only concert in New York. Naturally, we went there, met with them after the concert and literally forced them to play another concert - we have in Glasgow. He was completely magical. 600 people in the club were happy to see Liquid Liquid , who did not expect such a technique. There was an incredible euphoria. When the group played the song “Optimo” , everyone cried with happiness.

- Moscow promoters love the saying "Club lives one year." Like, the audience for the next year always wants something new. But Optimo Espacio lasted 14 years.

- Yes, and in 14 years we missed, perhaps, only three weekends. Every week on Sunday we had a party. Once we performed touring in Japan - we finished on Saturday at 7 in the morning, and on Sunday we were already in Glasgow to hold a party. But when they went to Australia, they did not have time to return on time, and I had to skip Sunday. We were fanatics.

- Why did you decide to stop?

- Suddenly it became clear that we could not make a party with the previous energy. I wanted to work in the studio, to take out the release of records, travel and meet friends. Five years ago, we stopped Optimo parties while they were at the peak. They did not wait for slow fading.

- Now you are managing a label ...

- Three! Autonomous Africa is devoted to music associated with African music or inspired by it. Part of the income from the sale is charity funds working in Africa. During the existence of Autonomous Afri C A, we collected about 30 thousand pounds. My main label is Optimo Music and the second - Optimo Tracks . If Autonomous Africa produces two releases a year, then these two are about 20 per year.

- Who is your most popular artist on labels?

- Glasgow group Golden Teacher - I have already released four of their records. The first came out when no one knew them, and now they are quite popular thanks to their concerts. There are seven people in the group, and they created a wonderful reputation for living performances. Also among bestsellers is the Factory Floor album. I also reprint the old music-a collection of old seven-inch from the 1990s also went well. It is difficult to sell records - people do not buy them. The record-label is a work on love, as I say. But most of my working time I spend on him.

- How do you earn money?

- Like a DJ. 90% of my earnings are fees for DJ performances. Sometimes I make remixes, sound design for theatrical productions. Sometimes the music published on my labels is licensed in the cinema. But DJ feeds me.

-In fact, you stood at the cradle of dance electronics in 1990; What do you feel about the fact that now for the majority this music is not associated with you, but with David Gett and Martin Garricks and with huge festivals where the monotonous Edm play?

“I'm a little sad, of course.” But I never intersected with this world. I just ignore him. It does not exist in my life. If you take any decade-50s, 60s, 70s, etc., pop music, the most mass music has never been particularly good quality. All the most interesting should be sought below radars. The world is so arranged.

“I can't help but ask you about Brexit .” I assume that you voted for Britain to remain in the EU.

- Of course. I am very upset by the results of the referendum. This is a terrible decision, but such is democracy. I suppose that Scotland and Ireland will now hold their referendums about independence in order to stay in Europe. Most of the Scots voted for integration with Europe and will not want to listen to the opinion of the British. And what do people in Russia think about it?

- I am personally upset, like most people of liberal views.

- Well, yes. And Putin this result is only at hand. In general, it seems to me that for everyone who does not feel sympathy for right -wing political forces, Brexit Day has become a black day.

- Soon in Scotland, they should give a reward for the best Scottish album last year . Who would you vote for if you were in the jury?

- I was in the jury of this award a few years ago. And this year he would vote for the album Auntie Flo . By the way, I published his tracks on Autonomous Afri C A.