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 Ghana and from Philadelphia.
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 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mumbai and Columbus.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lagos 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 Lewis practice in a loft in Vancouver.
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 Danielle Patucci to the punk 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 Sunsets and Hearts. All the underground hits.
All The Sisters of Mercy tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Amon Düül 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 '90s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and an arpeggiator and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Techniques record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Royal Family And The Poor,
Unrelated Segments,
Brand Nubian,
Carl Craig,
Al Stewart,
Accadde A,
Amon Düül II,
T. Rex,
Sandy B,
Mantronix,
B.T. Express,
Robert Görl,
Ultra Naté,
Stetsasonic,
Simply Red,
James Chance & The Contortions,
Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra,
Roxy Music,
Roy Ayers Ubiquity,
Magazine,
Delta 5,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Soft Machine,
Jeff Mills,
The Raincoats,
Thee Headcoats,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
Isaac Hayes,
The Victims,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Arab on Radar,
Don Cherry,
FM Einheit,
Ice-T,
Sixth Finger,
Section 25,
Henry Cow,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
the Germs,
Erykah Badu,
Alison Limerick,
The Zeros,
Gang Starr,
Tres Demented,
Joy Division,
Alton Ellis,
Man Parrish,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Hasil Adkins,
Skarface,
the Sonics,
Joey Negro,
Freddie Wadling,
The Walker Brothers,
Model 500,
The Beau Brummels,
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds,
Hardrive,
Rekid,
Stereo Dub,
Whodini, Whodini, Whodini, Whodini.
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.