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 the UAE and from Edmonton.
But I was there.
I was there in 1980.
I was there at the first Cybotron 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 1965 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Beijing.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Taipei 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 Tom Verlaine 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 Letta Mbulu to the punk 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 Man Parrish. All the underground hits.
All Banda Bassotti tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Animal Collective record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal techno hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and an oboe and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Fatback Band record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The United States of America,
Technova,
the Normal,
The Jesus and Mary Chain,
Alphaville,
June Days,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark,
Second Layer,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Jawbox,
Peter and Kerry,
MC5,
Skriet,
The Monochrome Set,
Scientists,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Mojo Men,
Patti Smith,
Laurel Aitken,
The Cramps,
New Age Steppers,
Sex Pistols,
Royal Trux,
Lou Reed,
Symarip,
cv313,
DNA,
Selector Dub Narcotic,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Brass Construction,
E-Dancer,
Underground Resistance,
Radiohead,
The Tremeloes,
Crispian St. Peters,
Michelle Simonal,
Eden Ahbez,
Bobby Byrd,
Gregory Isaacs,
A Flock of Seagulls,
MDC,
Adolescents,
Cal Tjader,
David McCallum,
R.M.O.,
Bauhaus,
The Standells,
Lungfish,
Donald Byrd,
Los Fastidios,
John Coltrane,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
Banda Bassotti,
The Modern Lovers,
Bad Manners,
The Smoke,
Bootsy Collins,
In Retrospect,
Grauzone,
Vainqueur,
Grandmaster Flash,
Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield, Curtis Mayfield.
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.