Infinitely Losing My Edge
Yeah, I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
The kids are coming up from behind.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids from Nicaragua and from Taipei.
But I was there.
I was there in 1968.
I was there at the first Can show in Cologne.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge to the kids whose footsteps I hear when they get on the decks.
I'm losing my edge to the internet seekers who can tell me every member of every good group from 1964 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bremen kids in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered nineties.
I'm losing my edge.
I'm losing my edge.
I can hear the footsteps every night on the decks.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the marimba sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers started up his first band.
I told him, "Don't do it that way. You'll never make a dime."
I was there.
I was the first guy playing Massinfluence to the rap kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
Everybody thought I was crazy.
We all know.
I was there.
I was there.
I've never been wrong.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent.
And they're actually really, really nice.
I'm losing my edge.
I heard you have a compilation of every good song ever done by anybody.
Every great song by John Foxx. All the underground hits.
All DJ Sneak tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Shuggie Otis record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal punk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sugar Minott record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a mellotron.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Avey Tare,
Joe Smooth,
The Blues Magoos,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Barclay James Harvest,
Brand Nubian,
B.T. Express,
Fatback Band,
Pantytec,
the Germs,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
The Vogues,
Rosa Yemen,
Henry Cow,
The Fortunes,
H. Thieme,
Kerri Chandler,
Whodini,
Pere Ubu,
Kas Product,
Nation of Ulysses,
OOIOO,
Yellowson,
Howard Jones,
Moss Icon,
Vainqueur,
Marmalade,
David Axelrod,
Ultra Naté,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Peter & Gordon,
The Associates,
Pulsallama,
Bob Dylan,
Motorama,
Ronnie Foster,
Sparks,
Mo-Dettes,
Joe Finger,
Ice-T,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
Donny Hathaway,
Johnny Clarke,
Glambeats Corp.,
The Shadows of Knight,
AZ,
The Toasters,
Freddie Wadling,
Fluxion,
Eli Mardock,
Second Layer,
The Doors,
Blake Baxter,
Harmonia,
Lucky Dragons,
Joensuu 1685,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Matthew Halsall, Matthew Halsall, Matthew Halsall, Matthew Halsall.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.
You don't know what you really want.