Legendary Glaswegian DJ Duo Optimo Give Us a Sneak Peek at Their Record Bag Before Dada Sep 8 Night

Glaswegian DJ duo Optimo – who garnered international renown with their hometown weekly Subclub night of the same name from 1997 to 2010 – are on their way to Dada on September 8, a fitting setting to rekindle those sweaty nights of dancing bliss.

The event is particularly special as this two-date tour of China (they'll be in Shanghai on Sep 9) is in celebration of DJs JD Twitch and JG Wilkes having played for 20 years together in some of the finest clubs around the world.

Although their original night was decidedly techno-focused, Twitch and Wilkes draw inspiration from the entire gamut of music and mix in elements of post-punk, new wave, rave, and any other tracks that tickle their fancy.

Evidence of such can be found below, as they detail which tracks have led them on their journey toward DJ greatness and a few hints as to what we can expect to hear come the weekend.

TBJ: Given that you’re currently doing the rounds for your 20th anniversary as Optimo, the famed Glasgow club night and your time as a duo, what are some tracks that marked major landmarks in your development as DJs?

JG Wilkes:

Arvo Pärt - "Cantus In Memoriam Benjamin Britten" Bringing feelings of loss and grief amidst the proceedings.

Lassigue Bendthaus - "Superbad" Micro-funking James Brown’s funk on an MPC.

Crass - "Walls (Fun In The Oven)" Pure desire conveyed by Essex anarcho-punks.

The Leather Nun - "FFA" Disgracefully dark filth and then made mixable by Betty.

Harry Thumann - "Underwater" Re-ignited my interest in “disco” and a big string thing.

(Work those memory cells) Were there any particular tracks you were hyped to play when you first came to China for Split Works’ Black Rabbit Festival in Shanghai in 2011, or any tracks that went down either noticeably well or unexpectedly not so?
JD Twitch: We have played 600-plus gigs since then so I’m afraid it is just impossible to remember what we played. Sometimes people will message me the day after I have played a gig to ask what I played and I can almost never remember. The funniest question like this I ever had was a year or two ago when someone said they had seen me play in 1992 and wanted to know what the last track of my set had been!

What’s one track from Optimo Music and its sister label Optimo Trax released over the past year or two that you feel particularly proud of and why?
JD Twitch: I’m particularly proud of every single release. Each one was put out with an equal amount of love, consideration and thought so it is just not possible to single any out.

Without spoiling the surprise, can you give us a hint of a track we might hear or one that's been a staple of your sets this summer, when you hit up Dada on September 8?
JD Twitch: You might hear some forthcoming releases on Optimo Trax by Kalbata, Mathias Schober, or Solitary Dancer. If it has some strange east African horn sound, it could be the Kalbata. If there is a hypnotic modular synth it might be the Mathias Schober, and if it doesn’t feature a four on the floor kick drum and blows the bass bins, maybe it will be Solitary Dancer?

You have a reputation for dropping curveballs in your sets (e.g. Slayer at Sonar this year). Can you give us an example of a track you would steer clear of while DJing, but one you enjoy listening to away from the dance floor?
JG Wilkes: It’s listening enjoyment which ultimately brings something not typically dance floor-oriented to a set. I could name a lot of music which I listen to at home and don’t currently play out, but I’m confident that this music is potentially relevant in a club too – no matter how difficult, weird, or wonderful.

Go git it and dance to the sweaty early hours with Optimo at Dada this Friday, September 8. Ticket price TBA.

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Email: tomarnstein@thebeijinger.com
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