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 Haiti and from Portland.
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 1969 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Manchester.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 theremin sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 David Axelrod to the rock kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 a-ha. All the underground hits.
All Warren Ellis tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sexual Harrassment record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Gap Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a sitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your sitar and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Lou Christie,
David Bowie,
Pulsallama,
E-Dancer,
Max Romeo,
Little Man,
Brothers Johnson,
L. Decosne,
Technova,
The Misunderstood,
Archie Shepp,
Moby Grape,
Stiv Bators,
Al Stewart,
Mantronix,
Terrestrial Tones,
Brand Nubian,
Mark Hollis,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Jeff Mills,
Graham Central Station,
Boz Scaggs,
Soft Cell,
The Smiths,
Banda Bassotti,
Sonic Youth,
The Pretty Things,
Cecil Taylor,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Bobby Byrd,
Bizarre Inc.,
Sticky Fingaz feat. Raekwon,
Tomorrow,
Lucky Dragons,
the Normal,
Magma,
June Days,
Von Mondo,
Franke,
Piero Umiliani,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
The Beau Brummels,
The Selecter,
Circle Jerks,
Godley & Creme,
The Fuzztones,
Danielle Patucci,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
David Axelrod,
Mission of Burma,
The Grass Roots,
The Leaves,
The Golliwogs,
Johnny Osbourne,
Kerri Chandler,
Faraquet,
One Last Wish,
Pagans,
The Sonics,
Television Personalities,
Grey Daturas,
The Trojans, The Trojans, The Trojans, The Trojans.
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.