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 New Zealand and from Lyon.
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 1961 to 1976.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Paris 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 1984 at the first Arcadia practice in a loft in London.
I was working on the güiro sounds with much patience.
I was there when Lou Reed 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 John Holt 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 Livin' Joy. All the underground hits.
All Flash Fearless tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Blancmange 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a guitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Sugar Minott record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Cosmic Jokers,
Joyce Sims,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Fear,
The Beau Brummels,
Sight & Sound,
The Doors,
Dennis Brown,
Silicon Teens,
Cecil Taylor,
Swans,
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
The Busters,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Pulsallama,
Zapp,
Quantec,
JFA,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Arthur Verocai,
ABC,
Soul II Soul,
Zero Boys,
Kerrie Biddell,
New Order,
Oblivians,
Arab on Radar,
kango's stein massive,
Radiopuhelimet,
Dark Day,
Lalann,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Traffic Nightmare,
Minutemen,
Masters at Work,
Popol Vuh,
Royal Trux,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Iggy Pop,
PIL,
Suicide,
The Seeds,
Clear Light,
Max Romeo,
Chris & Cosey,
China Crisis,
Terry Callier,
The Smiths,
Mark Hollis,
The Black Dice,
The Vogues,
Jimmy McGriff,
Monolake,
Y Pants,
Erasure,
Desert Stars,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Ornette Coleman,
Aaron Thompson,
Fugazi, Fugazi, Fugazi, Fugazi.
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.