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 Eritrea and from Lagos.
But I was there.
I was there in 1979.
I was there at the first Josef K show in Edinburgh.
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 1964 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Taipei.
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 1970 at the first Onyeabor practice in a loft in Enugu.
I was working on the linndrum 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 Qualms to the techno 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 Joyce Sims. All the underground hits.
All Buzzcocks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Doors record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal crunk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Hashim record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a guitar.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a spring reverb.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bobby Hutcherson,
Johnny Clarke,
Vladislav Delay,
John Holt,
The Trojans,
Jimmy McGriff,
Anthony Braxton,
kango's stein massive,
Hardrive,
The Cowsills,
Deadbeat,
The Slits,
Banda Bassotti,
Kerrie Biddell,
Barry Ungar,
Mary Jane Girls,
Thee Headcoats,
Rapeman,
Erasure,
Graham Central Station,
Suburban Knight,
Kenny Larkin,
E-Dancer,
Nation of Ulysses,
Swell Maps,
Fela Kuti,
Sällskapet,
The Golliwogs,
Section 25,
John Lydon,
Procol Harum,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson,
Bill Wells,
CMW,
F. McDonald,
Q and Not U,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
These Immortal Souls,
Absolute Body Control,
This Heat,
La Düsseldorf,
Sun City Girls,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Charles Mingus,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Kevin Saunderson,
Blancmange,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Arthur Verocai,
Fatback Band,
the Normal,
R.M.O.,
Gong,
the Swans,
Oblivians,
Carl Craig,
Gang Gang Dance,
Swans,
Amon Düül,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Spoonie Gee,
Aural Exciters,
Ice-T, Ice-T, Ice-T, Ice-T.
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.