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 Gambia and from Bremen.
But I was there.
I was there in 1976.
I was there at the first Chic show in New York.
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 1963 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Jakarta and Manila.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Seoul 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 harpsichord sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 Ultramagnetic MC's to the rap kids.
I played it at the 40 Watt.
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 Strawberry Alarm Clock. All the underground hits.
All Max Romeo tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Barracudas record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a guitar and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a X-102 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Camberwell Now,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Urselle,
Althea and Donna,
David Bowie,
Shoche,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
John Holt,
Pantytec,
Main Source,
Von Mondo,
Popol Vuh,
Symarip,
Heaven 17,
Saccharine Trust,
Grey Daturas,
Unwound,
Manfred Mann's Earth Band,
Sällskapet,
Bobbi Humphrey,
Fear,
Grandmaster Flash,
One Last Wish,
Yazoo,
Terry Callier,
The Moody Blues,
The Martian,
Livin' Joy,
Aswad,
The Sonics,
Danielle Patucci,
Negative Approach,
Kerri Chandler,
The Sound,
the Sonics,
Joe Finger,
Desert Stars,
The Alarm Clocks,
Tim Buckley,
The Mummies,
The Beau Brummels,
Make Up,
Gregory Isaacs,
These Immortal Souls,
The Gun Club,
Brothers Johnson,
Little Man,
The Zeros,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Lakeside,
Ituana,
Colin Newman,
Guru Guru,
the Swans,
Kevin Saunderson,
Archie Shepp,
Eden Ahbez,
Lower 48,
Bootsy Collins,
Newcleus,
Dawn Penn,
Warren Ellis, Warren Ellis, Warren Ellis, Warren Ellis.
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.