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 Azerbaijan and from Shanghai.
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 1965 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and Copenhagen.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 1980 at the first Cybotron practice in a loft in Detroit.
I was working on the mellotron 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 OOIOO to the techno kids.
I played it at the Astoria.
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 Bobby Womack. All the underground hits.
All Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Terrestrial Tones 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bill Near record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
ABC,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Zero Boys,
Isaac Hayes,
The Residents,
Bobbi Humphrey,
The Black Dice,
The Raincoats,
Sound Behaviour,
Circle Jerks,
Newcleus,
Graham Central Station,
Accadde A,
Notorious BIG live in Amsterdam,
The Sisters of Mercy,
kango's stein massive,
The Mojo Men,
Saccharine Trust,
Eric Copeland,
Pierre Henry,
Althea and Donna,
Rosa Yemen,
Avey Tare,
Basic Channel,
The Offenders,
Cluster,
Kurtis Blow,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
8 Eyed Spy,
Lyres,
Mo-Dettes,
Country Teasers,
Black Flag,
The Neon Judgement,
Lou Reed,
Crispy Ambulance,
The Standells,
Blancmange,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Wire,
Babytalk,
Sandy B,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Loose Ends,
Grauzone,
Average White Band,
JFA,
Chris Corsano,
Alphaville,
the Soft Cell,
The Angels of Light,
The Grass Roots,
Dual Sessions,
Rites of Spring,
Masters at Work,
Ronnie Foster,
Ken Boothe,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
MDC,
Crime,
Lalann,
Throbbing Gristle, Throbbing Gristle, Throbbing Gristle, Throbbing Gristle.
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.