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 Congo and from Tehran.
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 1962 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Stockholm and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 snare 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 Lakeside to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Michelle Simonal. All the underground hits.
All Dave Gahan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Aaron Thompson 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a theremin and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a China Crisis record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your linndrum and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a linndrum.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Bizarre Inc.,
The Gap Band,
Fela Kuti,
The Detroit Cobras,
Arab on Radar,
Hot Snakes,
DNA,
Inner City,
Ornette Coleman,
Gang of Four,
Mo-Dettes,
Danielle Patucci,
Cheater Slicks,
The Smoke,
the Sonics,
the Soft Cell,
Anakelly,
Bronski Beat,
Agent Orange,
The Barracudas,
Lebanon Hanover,
The Litter,
Lou Christie,
Sister Nancy,
Black Flag,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
John Coltrane,
Pussy Galore,
Zapp,
Scientists,
Crash Course in Science,
Vladislav Delay,
Suburban Knight,
Black Bananas,
Vainqueur,
Essential Logic,
Slick Rick,
Lalo Schifrin,
the Swans,
Masters at Work,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Birthday Party,
Negative Approach,
David Axelrod,
Quando Quango,
the Germs,
The Remains,
The Martian,
Amon Düül,
DJ Style,
Grauzone,
The Star Department,
The Moleskins,
Josef K,
The Vogues,
D'Angelo,
Maleditus Sound,
kango's stein massive,
Tom Boy,
Camouflage,
A Certain Ratio,
Ash Ra Tempel, Ash Ra Tempel, Ash Ra Tempel, Ash Ra Tempel.
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.