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 Ethiopia and from Bologna.
But I was there.
I was there in 1970.
I was there at the first Onyeabor show in Enugu.
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 1961 to 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Halifax and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mexico City 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 1977 at the first Human League practice in a loft in Sheffield.
I was working on the clarinet sounds with much patience.
I was there when David Bowie 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 The Divine Comedy to the funk kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Depeche Mode. All the underground hits.
All Basic Channel tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Quantec record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a chamberlin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Vladislav Delay record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your mellotron and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a mellotron.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Barrington Levy,
Sparks,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Nils Olav,
The Kinks,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Depeche Mode,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
This Heat,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
La Düsseldorf,
Nation of Ulysses,
Dead Boys,
The Mighty Diamonds,
The Human League,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Motorama,
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud,
Ludus,
The Fugs,
David Axelrod,
Wire,
Ituana,
Fort Wilson Riot,
kango's stein massive,
Visage,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
The Count Five,
Delon & Dalcan,
Mark Hollis,
Rotary Connection,
The Slits,
Roxy Music,
Tomorrow,
Arthur Verocai,
Saccharine Trust,
the Human League,
Bluetip,
Au Pairs,
Pantytec,
The Monks,
Harpers Bizarre,
Absolute Body Control,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Fugazi,
The Standells,
Derrick Morgan,
The Cowsills,
Susan Cadogan,
Rosa Yemen,
Animal Collective,
Neu!,
Barbara Tucker,
Oneida,
Anthony Braxton,
Moebius,
Ultimate Spinach,
The Barracudas,
Lebanon Hanover, Lebanon Hanover, Lebanon Hanover, Lebanon Hanover.
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.