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 Singapore and from Stockholm.
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 1966 to 1978.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Bologna and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Shanghai 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 Art of Noise practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the 808 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 Terror Squad Feat. Camron to the rock 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 Bang On A Can. All the underground hits.
All Gichy Dan tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Trumans Water 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Desert Stars record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a chamberlin.
I hear that you and your band have sold your chamberlin and bought a marimba.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Robert Hood,
Harry Pussy,
Scion,
Marc Almond,
Ituana,
Fad Gadget,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Dawn Penn,
Japan,
Monks,
Joyce Sims,
X-102,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
The Pretty Things,
Dark Day,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Residents,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
The Happenings,
Nico,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Aural Exciters,
Robert Wyatt,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Lalo Schifrin,
The Wake,
Kevin Saunderson,
The Fuzztones,
Notorious Big And Bone Thugs,
Kurtis Blow,
Underground Resistance,
Swans,
Brand Nubian,
Mantronix,
Nirvana,
48th St. Collective,
Black Moon,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
The Real Kids,
Hardrive,
The Fire Engines,
This Heat,
Camberwell Now,
Deepchord,
Gastr Del Sol,
Mad Mike,
Thee Headcoats,
Sällskapet,
The Knickerbockers,
Matthew Bourne,
Brothers Johnson,
June of 44,
Funky Four + One,
R.M.O.,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Juan Atkins,
The Gladiators,
Todd Rundgren,
Zapp,
Yaz,
Jeru the Damaja,
Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye.
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.