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 Gambia and from Toronto.
But I was there.
I was there in 1971.
I was there at the first Selda show in Istanbul.
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 1961 to 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Hong Kong 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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the spring reverb sounds with much patience.
I was there when Robert Palmer 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 Brick to the techno 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 Liaisons Dangereuses. All the underground hits.
All John Coltrane tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sun Ra record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grime hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a DJ Style record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a spring reverb.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a harpsichord.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
F. McDonald,
June of 44,
Jandek,
Joy Division,
Black Moon,
The Durutti Column,
Ohio Players,
Severed Heads,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
The Golliwogs,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Deakin,
The Techniques,
Qualms,
Spoonie Gee,
Depeche Mode,
Whodini,
cv313,
Supertramp,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Roger Hodgson,
Fugazi,
The Beau Brummels,
David Axelrod,
Gastr Del Sol,
Make Up,
Moby Grape,
The Raincoats,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Sandy B,
Lightning Bolt,
Sonny Sharrock,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
The Modern Lovers,
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
MDC,
The Sonics,
New Age Steppers,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Black Sheep,
Rotary Connection,
a-ha,
Easy Going,
Quadrant,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Eyeless In Gaza,
Sixth Finger,
Con Funk Shun,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Mo-Dettes,
K-Klass,
David Bowie,
Johnny Clarke,
Public Image Ltd.,
Soul Sonic Force,
Guru Guru,
E-Dancer,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Mark Hollis,
The Move,
The Gun Club, The Gun Club, The Gun Club, The Gun Club.
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.