DFA Records Unites James Murphy, CC:DISCO! and More for Charity Cover Honoring Optimo's JD Twitch

New York label DFA Records has released a seven-minute cover of The Waterboys' "The Whole Of The Moon," recorded in memory of Scottish DJ duo Optimo member JD Twitch (real name Keith McIvor). The cover is credited to The Watergirls and features LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy. The digital version is already up on Bandcamp, with a limited vinyl edition arriving October 2. Proceeds go to Beatson Cancer Charity and the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence. According to NME, the release comes as the first anniversary of McIvor's death approaches.

Who's on it, and how to get it

The project was initiated by Teamy, bringing together McIvor's friends and musicians influenced by Optimo. Alongside DFA co-founder James Murphy, contributors include Fantastic Twins, Bob Weston, CC:DISCO!, and Mhairi McClymont. A Love From Outer Space co-founder Sean Johnston (Hardway Bros) additionally recorded two remixes.

• Track: cover of The Waterboys' "The Whole Of The Moon," running about 7 minutes
• Format: The Watergirls
• Digital: available now on Bandcamp
• Physical: limited vinyl, out October 2
• Proceeds benefit: Beatson Cancer Charity and Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence

Teamy said the track wasn't originally intended for public release, but once friends and family had contributed vocals and instrumentation, leaving it on a hard drive felt wrong — hence the decision to put it out as a fundraiser. The label described "The Whole Of The Moon" as a song about awe, hope and love, and said McIvor was exactly the kind of person who pointed others toward new things.

JD Twitch and Optimo

McIvor revealed in July 2025 that he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. His wife launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the cost of 24-hour care, raising more than £90,000 within two days, with donations from Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite, among others. In September of the same year, fellow Optimo member Jonnie Wilkes confirmed McIvor had died at age 57.

DFA had previously sold T-shirts printed with the slogan "No DFA Without Optimo," with all proceeds going toward McIvor's medical fund. The label noted at the time that Optimo had played DFA's records, hosted its artists, DJed at its parties, and contributed remixes and original work to the DFA catalog. Following news of his death, Kapranos, Bicep and Tim Burgess all posted tributes on social media.