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 St Kitts & Nevis and from Shanghai.
But I was there.
I was there in 2001.
I was there at the first Tiga show in Montreal.
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 1963 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Hong Kong and Sao Paulo.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the 808 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 Clear Light to the funk kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Byron Stingily. All the underground hits.
All Sam Rivers tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Liliput record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal rap 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 an oboe and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ossler record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Archie Shepp,
Fela Kuti,
Spandau Ballet,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Drive Like Jehu,
Glambeats Corp.,
B.T. Express,
Bauhaus,
John Holt,
X-Ray Spex,
Babytalk,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
The Blues Magoos,
Lalann,
Stetsasonic,
Eric Dolphy,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Flipper,
Kas Product,
X-102,
Amon Düül II,
Niagra,
Eli Mardock,
The Invisible,
Erasure,
Joe Finger,
Dark Day,
Lou Reed & John Cale,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Groovy Waters,
The Slackers,
Todd Terry,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Dawn Penn,
Nico,
Newcleus,
Marshall Jefferson,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
T.S.O.L.,
Joyce Sims,
The Alarm Clocks,
Slick Rick,
A Certain Ratio,
Neu!,
Ultravox,
Joy Division,
Marcia Griffiths,
Nirvana,
Gabor Szabo,
The Fuzztones,
Interpol,
Steve Hackett,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Jeru the Damaja,
Section 25,
The Velvet Underground,
Sun Ra,
Bang On A Can,
Joensuu 1685,
Harpers Bizarre,
Neil Young & Crazy Horse,
FM Einheit,
Albert Ayler, Albert Ayler, Albert Ayler, Albert Ayler.
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.