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 Guinea and from Houston.
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 1968 to 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Toronto and Madrid.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Sao Paulo 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 organ sounds with much patience.
I was there when Nile Rodgers 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 The Mojo Men to the punk kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Kings Of Tomorrow. All the underground hits.
All Anakelly tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sunsets and Hearts record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a 808 and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Bauhaus record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a clarinet.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Pylon,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Sarah Menescal,
Ultimate Spinach,
Richard Hell and the Voidoids,
Magazine,
Amon Düül II,
Todd Terry,
Tropical Tobacco,
Sonny Sharrock,
PIL,
Fad Gadget,
Siglo XX,
Lower 48,
Kayak,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
It's A Beautiful Day,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Neu!,
Wolf Eyes,
Archie Shepp,
Joey Negro,
Piero Umiliani,
Whodini,
Nils Olav,
Barry Ungar,
The Beau Brummels,
Sonic Youth,
Tubeway Army,
Suicide,
The Knickerbockers,
The Misunderstood,
the Human League,
the Normal,
Symarip,
A Certain Ratio,
Stereo Dub,
De La Soul & Jungle Brothers,
Qualms,
The Detroit Cobras,
Yellowson,
Moebius,
Tears for Fears,
Röyhkä ja Rättö ja Lehtisalo,
a-ha,
Yusef Lateef,
MDC,
Lungfish,
The Blackbyrds,
Marshall Jefferson,
Barrington Levy,
the Bar-Kays,
Alton Ellis,
The Seeds,
Man Eating Sloth,
The Smiths,
Lakeside,
Boogie Down Productions,
Harpers Bizarre,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Dual Sessions,
Blancmange,
Maleditus Sound, Maleditus Sound, Maleditus Sound, Maleditus Sound.
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.