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 Ivory Coast and from Sao Paulo.
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 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Houston.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Madrid 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the oboe 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 Nation of Ulysses 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 The Monks. All the underground hits.
All The Alarm Clocks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Rites of Spring record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime 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 harpsichord and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Zero Boys record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your organ and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought an organ.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Flipper,
Spoonie Gee,
Wolf Eyes,
Yazoo,
Ossler,
David Axelrod,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
The Angels of Light,
Jesper Dahlback,
Tears for Fears,
Radio Birdman,
Blancmange,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Echospace,
Qualms,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Minutemen,
Oneida,
Thee Headcoats,
Moby Grape,
Chris Corsano,
Jacques Brel,
Matthew Halsall,
The Fortunes,
Dead Boys,
Letta Mbulu,
The New Christs,
Black Moon,
Fad Gadget,
Skarface,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Mark Hollis,
Warsaw,
Hot Snakes,
Absolute Body Control,
It's A Beautiful Day,
B.T. Express,
The Index,
The Fuzztones,
Crispian St. Peters,
Scientists,
The American Breed,
Jerry's Kids,
Bootsy Collins,
Nick Fraelich,
Pulsallama,
Loose Ends,
Y Pants,
Alphaville,
Traffic Nightmare,
Magazine,
Gang Gang Dance,
Joe Smooth,
Flamin' Groovies,
Roxy Music,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Terror Squad Feat. Camron,
Talk Talk,
Bronski Beat,
Sly & The Family Stone,
The Real Kids,
Country Teasers,
Vladislav Delay, Vladislav Delay, Vladislav Delay, Vladislav Delay.
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.