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 Kyrgyzstan and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1967.
I was there at the first Rodriguez show in Detroit.
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 Cairo and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lyon 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 arpeggiator 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 It's A Beautiful Day to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Wire. All the underground hits.
All Urselle tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Black Moon 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 '50s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a rhodes and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Ludus record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
a-ha,
Minor Threat,
Camouflage,
Pantaleimon,
Mark Hollis,
DJ Sneak,
Ten City,
Bobby Hutcherson,
Marmalade,
The Walker Brothers,
H. Thieme,
Alison Limerick,
The Flesh Eaters,
Nas,
The Busters,
Dual Sessions,
The Selecter,
Sixth Finger,
Godley & Creme,
Flamin' Groovies,
Fugazi,
Ultimate Spinach,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Byron Stingily,
Lou Christie,
Blake Baxter,
Camron Feat. Jay Z And Juelz,
Howard Jones,
Alton Ellis,
Cymande,
MC5,
The Kinks,
Dorothy Ashby,
Reuben Wilson,
The Fortunes,
Archie Shepp,
Neil Young,
Marc Almond,
Crime,
Throbbing Gristle,
Inner City,
The Gun Club,
The Birthday Party,
Bootsy Collins,
Skarface,
Joyce Sims,
UT,
Delon & Dalcan,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Ralphi Rosario,
T.S.O.L.,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Heaven 17,
Black Sheep,
Essential Logic,
Lucky Dragons,
David Bowie,
Sound Behaviour,
Joe Smooth,
The Music Machine,
Silicon Teens,
Popol Vuh,
Radio Birdman, Radio Birdman, Radio Birdman, Radio Birdman.
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.