Start Anew

Welcome to 2026!

A new year brings a new selection of 26 songs for '26, all featuring a new something or other.

99 minutes of top tunes, starting with Beady Eye, Liam's better-than-Oasis band.

There are a handful of '70s and '80s artists, including The Undertones, The Adverts, Breathless, Beastie Boys and Asleep At The Wheel covering Huey Lewis & The News.

A fistful of '90s fun (well, depending on your definition of fun) comes courtesy of Arab Strap, Epic Soundtracks, The Magnetic Fields and Martin Stephenson & The Daintees.

It's mostly 21st century music though, some old, some new, something for everyone from The Isley Brothers ft. De La Soul to Tokyo Police Club, BANKS to Beverly Kills.

A couple of 2025 highlights from Xan Tyler & Dusty Stray and Bedford Falls Players and, to wrap things up, Billy sings Billy, that is, Billy Nomates sings Billy Bragg.

Fingers crossed, this year's going to be a good one.

1) Start Anew (Remix Of 'Dreaming Of Some Space' By JC Of RKID003): Beady Eye (2014)

2) New Moon: Bedford Falls Players (2025)

3) Happy New Year Next Year: Violent Femmes (2015)

4) New Church: The Adverts (1978)

5) A New Chapter: Breathless (1984)

6) New Birds: Arab Strap (1998)

7) Window Shopping For New Clothes: The Undertones (1983)

8) Something New Under The Sun: Epic Soundtracks (1994)

9) New New Song: Tokyo Police Club (2008)

10) Your New Normal: Nine Inch Nails (2020)

11) I Think I Need A New Heart: The Magnetic Fields (1999)

12) I Want A New Drug (Cover of Huey Lewis & The News): Asleep At The Wheel (1987)

13) Big Sky New Light: Martin Stephenson & The Daintees (1992)

14) New Berlin: Beverly Kills (2022)

15) It's The New Style (Vocal) (Remix By Rick Rubin): Beastie Boys (1986)

16) The End Of A New Beginning: Xan Tyler & Dusty Stray (2025)

17) I've Found A New Way To Love Her: Julian Cope (2005)

18) Kinda New (Album Version): Spektrum (2004)

19) New Brat In Town (Unreleased Version By Steve Albini): The Auteurs (1996)

20) New Years (Cover of Asobi Seksu): Boris (2012)

21) Someone New (Album Version): BANKS (2014)

22) New Love Cassette (Album Version): Angel Olsen (2019)

23) A New Chance (Tanlines Remix): The Tough Alliance (2007)

24) Feels Like A New Morning: The Blow Monkeys (2013)

25) It's A New Thing (It's Your Thing) (D-Nat & Onda Reconstruction): The Isley Brothers ft. De La Soul (2004)

26) New Ingland (Demo) (Cover of Billy Bragg): Billy Nomates (2024)

1978: Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts: 4

1983: Chain Of Love EP: 7

1984: Ageless EP: 5

1986: It's The New Style EP: 15

1987: 10: 12

1992: The Boy's Heart: 13

1994: Sleeping Star: 8

1998: Philophobia: 6

1999: 69 Love Songs: 11

2004: Enter The...Spektrum: 18

2004: ...Taken To The Next Phase: 25

2005: Dark Orgasm: 17

2005: Luke Haines Is Dead: 19

2007: A New Chance EP: 23

2008: Elephant Shell / Extras (ltd 2x CD): 9

2012: Asobi Seksu x Boris Split EP: 20

2013: Feels Like A New Morning: 24

2014: Flick Of The Finger RKID003 EP: 1

2014: Goddess: 21

2015: Happy New Year EP: 3

2019: All Mirrors: 22

2020: Ghosts VI: Locusts: 10

2022: Kaleido: 14

2024: New Ingland EP: 26

2025: Home: 16

2025: New Moon EP: 2

Start Anew (1:39:26) (GD) (M)

If you're feeling nostalgic, check out my previous New Year's Day posts from 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Optimum Space To Twitch

Celebrating Keith McIvor aka JD Twitch aka one half of the mighty Optimo, following news of his passing on Friday 19th September 2025 at the age of 57.

Last month, it was revealed that Keith had an untreatable brain tumour and funds were raised to support round-the-clock care. And now he is gone. My thoughts and best wishes go to Keith's family, friends and loved ones.

Keith was a legend in music for two reasons: his solo work as DJ and producer JD Twitch; then there was Optimo, or Optimo (Espacio).

The latter had two separate and distinct identities. Optimo (Espacio) was a club night that ran in The Sub Club in Glasgow from 1997 to 2010, a partnership between long-time pals Keith and Jonnie Wilkes. 

Optimo, or Optimo (Espacio) was also a remix and production duo of Keith with Dave Clark, and which provides a heavy contribution to today's selection. The pair have released countless remixes over the years and it's a testament to the quality of their work that this is just as much about what I had to leave out than what I included.

And Keith's remixes as JD Twitch kept the bar very high, as today's picks will attest.

But that wasn't my first experience of Keith's music, though I found this out much, much later. 

In my first forays into downloading MP3s from music sites in 2000 and 2001, I was introduced to Mount Florida via the Matador Records label. I knew next to nothing about, but were subsequently revealed to be a partnership between Keith McIvor and Mike Lancaster. Just five releases between 1997 and 2001 - a 12" of untitled dubs, three EPs and an album, Arrived Phoenix - all excellent.

Today's selection is a tribute to Keith's formidable skills at the controls, redefining trance music for the 21st Century and creating remixes that frequently surpassed the original source song.

I could have gone on and on, but I've restricted my selection to 13 songs and just under 90 minutes. It's not enough, though it manages to span Keith's end of the century excursions with Mount Florida right up to this year's rerub of Primal Scream.

If you're a fan of Keith's music, I hope this serves him well. If you're less familiar with his work, then I hope it inspires you to go looking for more, it's every bit as good as what you'll find here.

Rest well, Keith, you have left so much to savour and remember you by.

1) Life Magazine (An Optimo (Espacio) Mix): Cold Cave (2010)

2) No Social (Optimo Espacio Remix): The Shortwave Set (2008)

3) In Sintesi (JD Twitch Optimo Mix): Róisín Murphy (2014)

4) Buzz In (Optimo Remix): Boris (2009)

5) 18 Hours (Of Love) (An Optimo (Espacio) Remix): K-X-P (2018)

6) Circus Of Life (A JD Twitch Remix): Primal Scream (2025)

7) Autonomia (A JD Twitch Optimo Total Destruction): Mark Stewart vs Primal Scream (2012)

8) G-Twang! (Single Version): Mount Florida (1999)

9) Greater Reward (Piano Power Edit By JD Twitch): Severed Heads (2015)

10) Infected (A JD Twitch Optimo Mix) (Cover Of The The): David Shaw And The Beat (2012)

11) White Rooms And People (A JD Twitch Mix): Working Men's Club (2020)

12) Lost In Satie (Single Version): Mount Florida (1999)

13) Bedjem Mebok (JD Twitch Remix): 10LEC6 (2017)

1999: Stealth EP: 12

1999: Strut EP: 8

2008: No Social EP: 2

2009: Buzz In: Remix Project EP: 4

2010: Life Magazine EP: 1

2012: Autonomia EP: 7

2012: Infected EP: 10

2014: Mi Senti Remixed EP: 3

2015: Big Saints Reward (88-90 Dubs) EP: 9

2017: Bedjem Mebok EP: 13

2018: 18 Hours (Of Love) / Tears (Extended Interlude) EP: 5

2025: Come Ahead: The Remixes Volume One: Vocals: 6

2025: JD Twitch: Heavenly Remixes EP: 11

Optimum Space To Twitch (1:28:51) (GD) (M)