I’ve spent quite a bit of time in recent months thinking about Keith McIvor AKA JD Twitch, who passed sway on Friday. There is much more to come, but here’s a first, raw tribute. Rest in power Keith - we’ll miss you x www.juno.co.uk/junodaily/20...

JD Twitch, esteemed Scottish DJ in duo Optimo, dies aged 57

Heartbreaking, but not unexpected news. Words can’t express how much inspiration and support Keith (JD Twitch) provided me and countless others over the years. I was lucky to visit him last month and made him a promise I intend to keep. Godspeed Keith - I’ll miss you x

Not amongst his greatest faults, but Trump really is terrible at reading out pre-prepared speeches. It’s like listening to a seven year-old reading aloud in class. Actually, it’s worse than that - my seven year old nephew can do better

Have just been done like a kipper by the cat in a classic “move your feet, lose your seat” move over possession of the office chair. She delivered a great distraction to get me up, before sneakily moving into position while my back was turned.

Perhaps to celebrate this they could commission some proper histories of dance rather than that appalling Pete Tong fronted one that isn’t really history at all: jointhefuture.net/2025/01/17/t...

Excellent day so far in Glasgow discussing a forthcoming book project (more details soon) but I am now feeling the 4am start to get up and head to the airport for the flight here. I may be asleep before the flight to Bristol later 😂

A wet Sunday evening means revisiting some of the ambient albums I bought on wax back in the 90s. Currently on New London School of Electronics ‘the deepest cut’ on Rising High. Suitably deep and trippy, ultraviolet lit chill out room style

What an astonishing T20 innings that was from England! Getting over 300 is absurd, even on a road of a pitch. Salt a masterclass of sustained biffing. Think I need a line down after that #ENGvSA

Appointing Mqndelson in the first place was a stupid decision. It’s further proof that Starmer has zero political instincts or nous and is over reliant on that toxic cretin McSweeney. This would be a good excuse to get rid of the latter, which means Starmer won’t

Delighted to share this one, as it has been on the cards for ages: a conversation with Holly Dicker about hardcore dance music movements and her essential new book on the subject, Dance Or Die: A History of Hardcore. Listen to the conversation via the article below jointhefuture.net/2025/09/09/l...

Calling all Leicester/East Midlands crew! I’ll be at LCB Depot on Thursday talking all things bleep & bass with host Steve Vibronics, Mark Iration (always entertaining) and local DJ legend Mastersafe. Details and “pay what you feel” ticket link via this story: jointhefuture.net/2025/09/08/e...

Toad went to Frog’s house in Clacton - the one his wife bought to get round stamp duty. He found a note on the door. The note said, “Dear Toad, I am not at home. I went to America. I want to be with Donald.” “Donald?” said Toad. “Frog has me as a friend. Why does he want to be with Donald?”

Mad that Reform are so set on abolishing the BBC - all u seem to have heard on 5 Live all summer is Farage, Tice, and Essex accented white van man type phone in callers with a boner for the frog-faced Putin enthusiast and Trump fluffer

Have spent much of today (so far) going through data from my PhD survey, looking at my participants favourite East Anglia rave memories. Some brilliant stories in there - two people (so far) have mentioned Squarepusher turning up and accidentally blowing an amp/a Soundsystem in Thetford Forest.

Very little beats the panic that ensues when a phone with a sketchy charging port runs out of battery. Happened to me earlier and I genuinely had no idea whether the phone was charging when plugged in. Genuinely stressful!

Turned on the radio in the kitchen (5 live), heard 3 seconds of Farage speaking to a room full of clapping old seals and pasty-faced cretins, and promptly turned it off again.

What’s great about this (aside from the fact that it was live) is how Bonneville makes it almost impossible to edit out his Gaza comments, leaving no space between them and his promotional spiel

‘RedZone’ is trending. Disappointed to discover that people weren’t chatting about old David Morales rubs, but American football. Meh.

Decided to check in on the cricket in between bouts of music reviewing. Oh dear. England 119-8 and in a massive hole. The ODI woes continue. Anyone told them they have far more than 100 balls to play with in this innings?!

Late to the party, but a most pleasing #NCFC away win yesterday. Sure, lots to work on still but trending in the right direction - away from home at least. Signs that a few of the summer signings are slowly getting up to speed. Think it helped that Kenny started and organised the midfield

Legendary and pivotal London ambient party Telepathic Fish is back in the headlines thanks to a new comp and event this weekend. So here’s a re-up of a vintage RBMA era long read of mine in which it features heavily jointhefuture.net/2020/09/10/l...

This is…. Worrying to say the least. Yarmouth has enough issues (the repulsive Rupert Lowe as local MP isn’t one of them), but it doesn’t need an invasion of neo-Nazis.

Sweepstake on which #NCFC player will be sent off for a two-footed lunge on Nunez in the Derby? My money is on Fisher or McClean (with the TV cameras then cutting to Onel in the crowd bellowing abuse at the prone Marcelino)

Back on the airwaves via Noods Radio later (15:00 BST) with the latest episode of #JoinTheFuture. Mix of ambient, acid, dub, weirdness, twisted UKG and IDM goodness. Will be available to stream on demand via the Noods website and app afterwards

Ny main “health fear” is that the bronzer-loving narcissist doesn’t keel over and snuff it. However bad Vance may be, I’m not sure he can worse than this senile Douchebag

Dug aomething out earlier for the radio show earlier, a double album of ambient goodness from 1998 I’ve not listened to in about 20 years. Decided to check it on discogs. Last copy sold went for 700 quid 😳

Just complimented a local dad on his car packing for a family camping trip. He was chuffed to get the compliment and most proud of his efforts 😁 I moved on before he explained his methods in detail though - it was surely coming 😂

The #JoinTheFuture Reappraised series returns, with yours truly looking at and contextualising Clausell’s 1986 formative garage-house jam ‘Don’t Let It Be Crack’ - a record made in response to NYC’s crack cocaine epidemic jointhefuture.net/2025/08/22/r... #raveyardshift

It took decades, but the guy behind the deeply odd and cult like Sheffield “rave church” the Nine O’Clock Service has finally been convicted of multiple sexual assaults, dating from early to mid 90s www.bbc.com/news/article...

Tomorrow night (Friday 15th August) I’ll be doing an all-new talk on the hidden histories of rural rave culture at Well Dressed Social at QUAD Derby. The evening also includes screenings of Free Party: A Folk History and ambient road movie Still Out. Tickets: www.derbyquad.co.uk/events/welld...

Coming to major non-fiction publishers in 2028: 14 books about the Daft Punk skateboard. Rights secured via a 937-way blind auction

In both of their games this season, Ipswich have looked rubbish - despite having a squad of (on paper) very good championship players - plus a few league one cloggers who went on their crazy (but not unprecedented - Saints, Norwich and others did it first) double promotion run

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Much better from #NCFC tonight - better balance and Diallo, Nunez, Fisher and Marcondes (to a lesser extent) made the difference. Slightly nervy last 20 but mostly comfortable. Darling decent. Promising signs

Had to offer this up for the #raveyarsahift - one of my favourite under-appreciated gems from the bleep era, and one that JD Twitch loves too. For that reason it had to go on the #JoinTheFuture comp. The sole DJ Martin and DJ Homes remix too youtu.be/tjLgbVGZU04?...

For the #raveyardshift, some early/very late action. Recently reissued, a certain Mr Villalobos taking us into space. Mad that it was originally released almost 26 years ago youtu.be/rGOlKNvB8Jw?...

Having spent several days driving around Glasgow, I can confirm that there are a *lot* of potholes. And traffic jams. And the central A-road/motorway system that slices through the centre was designed by a psychopath

Coming up at 15:00 BST today (and available to stream on demand afterwards) on Noods Radio, the latest episode of #JoinTheFuture. A mix of deep house, axis, dub techno, hip-house and some JD Twitch chat. Listen or Bandita (pictured) will get even more grumpy

Pandemonium at the pub for both England goals tonight. So easy to love the Lionesses - they just keep going and going. Penalty was exceptionally soft but who cares! Bring on the final on Sunday!

Bristol folks! It is of course Harbourside Festival weekend, which is the one occasion where Rick’s (bar a few doors down from Arnolfini/the yoith hostel) whacks their Soundsystem outside. Awon and myaelf at the controls this time -3pm-11pm, with yours truly on from 6-8 or thereabouts

Insane how (relatively) untroubled Pogacar looked compared to everyone else on the ridiculously hard climb that ended today’s #TDF stage - and how quick he was going. Genuinely mental

Diabetic eye screening day, which means - thanks to the drops they put in - hours afterwards of trippy and blurred vision that makes reading difficult and feels like you’ve just necked some shrooms. Sort of a vibe, though getting work done is impossible. Even writing this was…. Interesting

Many of you have been asking about how to help our dear pal Keith, aka JD Twitch (Optimo) who has in-operable aggressive brain cancer - here's the crowdfunder ❤️ This man has done so much for music, music careers, and his charity work has been relentless ❤️ Thanks so much friends❤️ tinyurl.com/y9vtc7pj

Test cricket…. Bloody hell!

The news about Optimo’s JD Twitch has hit me hard, though nowhere near as hard as it will have hit has family and closest friends. Words can’t express my love, gratitude and respect - not just for his friendship and support, but also the inspiration he has provided over the years.

Yesterday the cat got very pissy because I was outside reading and ignoring her demands to be fed early. Here she is mid “FOR GOD’S SAKE DO WHAT I DEMAND” miaow

Pleasantly surprised that I’ve already had a response (a call, which I missed) from British Gas to my furious letter of complaint, sent last night. I’ll be surprised if there’s a positive outcome though - they’ll just cycle through the same standard responses and not offer a useful solution.

Just had a flashback to last night, when one of the venue ataff asked me how long I’d been DJing. Turns out longer than she’s been alive. Ouch.

Just catching up on the U21s Euros final highlights (missed the game last night due to dj duties). Way to go, Jonny Rowe! Sad it ended at NCFC the way it did (he was a clown) but nice to see him get the winner