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 Laos and from Madrid.
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 1969 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Johannesburg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Delhi 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the mellotron sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Index to the techno kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 Ajijia Myrayebe. All the underground hits.
All Susan Cadogan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Durutti Column record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rock hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a London Community Gospel Choir record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Terry Callier,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Joe Finger,
Motorama,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
Man Parrish,
Junior Murvin,
New Order,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Marshall Jefferson,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Cal Tjader,
Cymande,
Glambeats Corp.,
Talk Talk,
Pharoah Sanders,
Reuben Wilson,
the Soft Cell,
The Mojo Men,
Oblivians,
Franke,
The J.B.'s,
These Immortal Souls,
Altered Images,
David Bowie,
Boogie Down Productions,
Pantaleimon,
The Toasters,
The Count Five,
Marc Almond,
48th St. Collective,
Saccharine Trust,
Siglo XX,
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap,
CMW,
The Cramps,
Soul II Soul,
Agent Orange,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Faust,
Symarip,
Alton Ellis,
Connie Case,
Lakeside,
Tubeway Army,
Barbara Tucker,
Mission of Burma,
Pantytec,
Drive Like Jehu,
Bill Near,
KRS-One,
Das Ding,
Dead Boys,
Delta 5,
Marine Girls,
Pierre Henry,
The Modern Lovers,
Pagans,
The Angels of Light,
Lower 48,
Laurel Aitken,
Fad Gadget, Fad Gadget, Fad Gadget, Fad Gadget.
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.