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 Korea South and from Cairo.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bremen and Paris.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Portland 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 Bronski Beat practice in a loft in Brixton.
I was working on the arpeggiator sounds with much patience.
I was there when Michael McDonald 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 Louis and Bebe Barron 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 Outsiders. All the underground hits.
All Roxy Music tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Babytalk record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a sitar and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Cabaret Voltaire record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a chamberlin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Metal Thangz,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Jimmy McGriff,
KRS-One,
Davy DMX,
Scott Walker,
Amon Düül II,
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft,
Bluetip,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Scientists,
Ossler,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Boogie Down Productions,
The Cramps,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
Soul Sonic Force,
F. McDonald,
The Angels of Light,
Ohio Players,
The Leaves,
Matthew Halsall,
R.M.O.,
Anakelly,
Camberwell Now,
Lou Reed,
Bronski Beat,
The Monks,
Excepter,
These Immortal Souls,
Bad Manners,
Main Source,
Donald Byrd,
Wire,
The Fire Engines,
Graham Central Station,
The Fugs,
Mark Hollis,
Trumans Water,
Curtis Mayfield,
June of 44,
Cheater Slicks,
Ituana,
Icehouse,
Glambeats Corp.,
Basic Channel,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Marshall Jefferson,
Anthony Braxton,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Althea and Donna,
LL Cool J,
Marmalade,
Black Flag,
the Human League,
The Smiths,
The Motions,
The Invisible,
Lightning Bolt,
Josef K,
Drexciya,
Zapp,
Thompson Twins,
Babytalk, Babytalk, Babytalk, Babytalk.
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.