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 Papua New Guinea and from Paris.
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 1977.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Glasgow and Lagos.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Johannesburg 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 1979 at the first Second Layer practice in a loft in South London.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Rhythim Is Rhythim to the disco 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 Gang Green. All the underground hits.
All Cybotron tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Count Five record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a spring reverb and an organ and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Black Pus record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a harpsichord.
I hear that you and your band have sold your harpsichord and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Techniques,
Soul II Soul,
Neu!,
Procol Harum,
Mo-Dettes,
The Zeros,
Interpol,
Black Sheep,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Pharoah Sanders,
Hardrive,
Guru Guru,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Real Kids,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
Subhumans,
Gang of Four,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Davy DMX,
Theoretical Girls,
Masters at Work,
AZ,
The Golliwogs,
Joey Negro,
Circle Jerks,
Carl Craig,
Hashim,
CMW,
Moby Grape,
Donald Byrd,
The Human League,
David Axelrod,
Kevin Saunderson,
Rod Modell,
Wally Richardson,
Bob Dylan,
Scrapy,
Desert Stars,
Avey Tare,
Peter & Gordon,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Goldenarms,
Curtis Mayfield,
MC5,
DJ Style,
Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog,
Dual Sessions,
Archie Shepp,
Funky Four + One,
The Angels of Light,
Magma,
Surgeon,
Maurizio,
Graham Central Station,
Sparks,
Grey Daturas,
Janne Schatter,
Bronski Beat,
Black Pus,
Alton Ellis,
James Chance & The Contortions,
The Birthday Party,
Unwound,
JFA, JFA, JFA, JFA.
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.