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 Samoa and from Beijing.
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 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Milan and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Philadelphia 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 1983 at the first Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Captain Beefheart 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 Fluxion 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 The Knickerbockers. All the underground hits.
All Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Beau Brummels record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal disco 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 a marimba and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Unwound record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Funky Four + One,
Trumans Water,
Nirvana,
Main Source,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
The Index,
Ultra Naté,
Fear,
Skriet,
Negative Approach,
The Moleskins,
Barrington Levy,
Eddi Front,
K-Klass,
Circle Jerks,
Pole,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Lightning Bolt,
Gang Gang Dance,
Susan Cadogan,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Sonny Sharrock,
The Zeros,
Bobby Womack,
Fort Wilson Riot,
Fela Kuti,
Mantronix,
Dorothy Ashby,
Unrelated Segments,
The Standells,
The Litter,
Moebius,
Man Eating Sloth,
48th St. Collective,
Big Daddy Kane,
Girls At Our Best!,
John Lydon,
The Kinks,
The Durutti Column,
Wings,
Procol Harum,
Make Up,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Goldenarms,
Crime,
Dave Gahan,
Avey Tare,
Livin' Joy,
The Grass Roots,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
Blake Baxter,
Yellowson,
The Slackers,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Moody Blues,
OOIOO,
E-Dancer,
Sällskapet,
Quando Quango,
Amazonics,
Jeru the Damaja,
Man Parrish,
Deakin,
Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy, Harry Pussy.
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.