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 Belarus and from Accra.
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 1960 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Mumbai 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 1968 at the first Can practice in a loft in Cologne.
I was working on the synthesizer 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 The Chocolate Watch Band 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 Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. All the underground hits.
All Pussy Galore tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Be Bop Deluxe record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
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 Newcleus record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a rhodes.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Clear Light,
The Associates,
Negative Approach,
The Flesh Eaters,
The Wake,
the Bar-Kays,
The Young Rascals,
Vaughan Mason & Crew,
Khruangbin,
Marvin Gaye,
Soft Machine,
Goldenarms,
FM Einheit,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Monolake,
Marshall Jefferson,
Ten City,
Moby Grape,
the Germs,
Flipper,
Bootsy Collins,
Mr. Review,
Jerry's Kids,
The J.B.'s,
Henry Cow,
Rowland S Howard / Lydia Lunch,
David Bowie,
Godley & Creme,
Fugazi,
Thee Headcoats,
Blossom Toes,
Qualms,
Eli Mardock,
Urselle,
Leonard Cohen,
Albert Ayler,
Man Parrish,
Faraquet,
Bad Manners,
Wolf Eyes,
Parry Music,
K-Klass,
The Remains,
The Techniques,
Vainqueur,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
The Detroit Cobras,
Quando Quango,
Joy Division,
Soft Cell,
Model 500,
Schoolly D,
Gang Green,
Jeff Lynne,
Crispian St. Peters,
The Buckinghams,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Byron Stingily,
Eric B and Rakim,
Johnny Clarke,
Lou Reed,
Young Marble Giants,
Ossler,
Agent Orange, Agent Orange, Agent Orange, Agent Orange.
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.