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 Iraq and from Glasgow.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Houston and Stockholm.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Halifax 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 1971 at the first Neu! practice in a loft in Düsseldorf.
I was working on the organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx to the grunge 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 Reuben Wilson. All the underground hits.
All Sugar Minott tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Buckinghams record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a snare and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Altered Images record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Oneida,
Underground Resistance,
Gang of Four,
Soul Sonic Force,
the Fania All-Stars,
the Germs,
The Doors,
Patti Smith,
Fat Boys,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Country Joe & The Fish,
Ituana,
Amazonics,
Jerry Gold Smith,
Negative Approach,
Hasil Adkins,
Roy Ayers,
Eric B and Rakim,
The Monochrome Set,
The Evens,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Yazoo,
Gang Green,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Laurel Aitken,
Eli Mardock,
Danielle Patucci,
Duran Duran,
Vainqueur,
Pet Shop Boys,
Amon Düül,
Mandrill,
The Black Dice,
Boz Scaggs,
Crime,
Gang Gang Dance,
The Fire Engines,
Radio Birdman,
Jeru the Damaja,
Can,
Al Stewart,
Gil Scott Heron,
Royal Trux,
Wire,
The Neon Judgement,
Rites of Spring,
Agent Orange,
48th St. Collective,
Glambeats Corp.,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Barrington Levy,
Sun Ra,
Lower 48,
Mary Jane Girls,
Masters at Work,
Skarface,
Bill Wells,
Pierre Henry,
The Toasters,
Tomorrow,
Janne Schatter, Janne Schatter, Janne Schatter, Janne Schatter.
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.