OPTIMO'S 10TH BIRTHDAY
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Henry Northmore talks to Twitch and Wilkes, the duo that unleashed Optimd on the world, as the cutting edge club night celebrates ten years of freaked out excellence
he mam prnhlem \xith ()ptimn ll'.\}‘;telttl.
tn gi\e the eltthK lllll title. I\ that it's
allltnxl impnsxihle tn eategniixe m nne haml} \ntintlhite. Keith .\lel\ni taka lunch. pieturetl leltl antl .lnnnie \Vilkex tpietttretl l'llelll hnth eame lrnm a teehnn haekgrntmtl \xith rexitleneiex at lztlmhtirggh‘s legentlar} Pure and (llil\f_‘ti\\.\ \l) \laelnnex l't‘\[lt‘k‘ll\t‘l}. lilll [0 call ()ptimn a teehnn night \\Hllltl he a tntal mixnnmer; theyll happil} eram ’l’he Stringex. ('arl (late. .lnhn (‘arpentei' Inn\ie themes. (ianf: nl |~ntir. 'I‘he (ramps. l)epeehe \lntle. Rieartln \illalnhns antl \ane} Sinatra intn their wt. and lltnxe are lll\l the nnex _\nu‘tl reengnise. \ames as tll\el‘\L‘ .tlltl l'LWPL‘elt‘tl a\ (il'aee .lUllk‘\. l.L'L‘ ‘Seratelr l’err}. li‘an/ l'ertlinantl. 'l'he Rapture. Peaches and .\ ('ertain Ratin ha\e all pla_\etl li\e al ( )ptilnn.
It‘s their \triet atlherenee tn tint nhseixiiig the l‘lllL‘\ antl enmentinnx lllti\l eltihx \la\ l\lll} l'nllnu that has set 'l‘\\iteh antl \Vilkes apart and matle them perhaps the mnst rexeretl Mix in Sentlantl. ()ptimn ma_\ ha\ e startetl as a quiet Stintla} night in (ilasgnu hut tinu 'I‘xxiteh aiitl \Vilkex p|a_\ aernss the glnhe. \Vhat at lirxt must haxe seemed like a \peeialixt \eleetinn nl att_\thing_' gnes tunes appealing In a niche market lta\ lastetl ten _\eal‘\ :llitl lk‘etllllt‘ l'L‘\[k‘elL‘tl the \\til'ltl U\ L‘l'.
"I'he nriginal itlea \xas ltl\l tn hax e a eluh \xhere \\ e enultl pla_\ \\ hate\ er \\ e laneietl and it \xnttltln‘t reall_\ matter heeauxe nnhntl} untiltl he there In earef e\plain\ .\le|\nr. ‘antl that spirit has enduredf \nu ne\er knnu \xhat _\nti‘ll hear. it's that inurne} nl' tlixenxer} that is part nl the pleasure til the eluh.
'lhat lll'\l hnur \xhen the eltih is lilling up is tillell a relleetinn Ul \xhere tilll' heath are at Hll
that partiettlar tla_\f \a} s \\ ilkex. ‘\l;t§l\t' yin pla} tlark nr tini\_\ nr ma_\he \er_\ tripp} nr \nmething ritlietilntix ()ther lllllL'\ \\e p|a_\ a set \xhieh \xe think \\ ill intrntltiee the lixe \hnu apprnpriatelt. It \lk‘PL'lltl\. htit it's ne\er tlanee ltil|\le allllttlllel \nmetimes penple tln lreak ntit tn the mnre exnterie \ltlll, later in the night it'\ all ahntit the tlaneellnnr.’
‘l ne\er think ahniit lltll\lL‘ liming: a hnttntlar} \n it \\nti|tl leel \xrnng tn limit in} ehnieef he atltls. ‘l \ttppnse it‘s \\li;tte\ei e\perienee _\nti \xant tn gix e _\ntir atitlienee.’
It's this lllll enmmitment tn ereatine a ‘night nut’ that has matle penple leel like the} helnng: tn ()ptimn. and ( )ptimn helnngs tn them. 'I here\ lar mnre ennneetinn hetxxeeii DJ and eltihhet’ than _\nur a\era;_'e night nitt. It's uh} the likes nl |.( 'l) Snuntlxtstem‘x .lamex \lurplt} prnelaimx. ‘()ptimn\ the hest eluh III the uni'ltl' \xhile llnt (‘hip's .lne (intltlartl L‘l;lllll\ tn ha\e tlnne his la\nttl‘ile e\ er gig there.
But the eluh didn‘t get nll tn the must tlll\|ilelt)ll\ start. Back in \nxemher l‘)‘)7. lutteh \xax plating: at ,\t|l|;l|ll;lllk'l e\er_\ Stintla} at the Stih (‘ltih. then resitlent .\lark R}a|| mn\etl tn liareelnna w an empt_\ \lnt eame tip nn the Stintla). 'l‘\\ iteh \lk‘llpk'tl iittn the hreaeh eallinj: nn his l'rientl antl l'ellnxx musical \n_\a;_'er \Vilkex antl ()ptimn \\;t\ hnrn. lhe} instantl} gelletl. and the l'reel'nrm l).| \t}le ereatetl a unique eltih e\perienee. .v\t lirst ntimhers uere lnu. httt Itiekil} l'nr them the Stih ('luh had a prett} rela\etl attitude. as Inn): as stall ensts \xere enxeretl. Hut \xnrtl nl mnuth \preatl. antl. almnst iiic'\p|ic‘;rhl}. ()ptimn \nnn heeame I/u' eluh in (ilasgnu.
‘.v\ lnt nl' penple \\ ere a hit l'etl tip \\ ith \\ hat was ening nn lll eltihs and there \\a\ a certain general
ea F r I I 4 r 4 + 2001 October 2001 July 2002 November April 2003 May 2003 July 2003 September 2004 The OSCARR The first official The Rapture 2002 The ultimate LCD Things come 2003 Optimo releases record label is Optimo guest and bring Celebrations as warrior diva soundsystem full circle as An as-yet- its first official launched. Espookio the house down the Sub Club Grace Jones guest for the Liquid Liquid unknown Franz mix CD How to releasing. on Hallowe‘en reopens after headlines a first time play at the club Ferdinand Kill the DJ Part average. a party the fire Triptych special named in guest 2 on Tigersushi heady two honour of one records a year their tracks. r- a C a A
O’CARI
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