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 Mexico and from Manila.
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 1968 to 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tokyo and Glasgow.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Bologna 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 1971 at the first Selda practice in a loft in Istanbul.
I was working on the oboe 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 Gregory Isaacs to the dance kids.
I played it at CBGB's.
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 Rites of Spring. All the underground hits.
All The Monks tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every The Slits record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal grunge 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 marimba and a sitar and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Soulsonic Force record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought a snare.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
The Music Machine,
Blancmange,
Ralphi Rosario,
the Fania All-Stars,
The Electric Prunes,
The Five Americans,
The Cowsills,
Michelle Simonal,
Reuben Wilson,
The Skatalites,
The Fire Engines,
Parry Music,
Albert Ayler,
Eden Ahbez,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
Organ,
Gabor Szabo,
The Evens,
Newcleus,
Excepter,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Erasure,
The Buckinghams,
Japan,
Zapp,
Bill Wells,
Lou Reed,
UT,
The Alarm Clocks,
Barry Ungar,
Kauko Röyhkä ja Narttu,
Echospace,
Thee Headcoats,
Prince Buster,
Alton Ellis,
Royal Trux,
Black Flag,
Eric B and Rakim,
Nils Olav,
Eddi Front,
Scientists,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
Trumans Water,
Suicide,
Tommy Roe,
The American Breed,
Anthony Braxton,
Public Enemy,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Shoche,
Avey Tare,
Nation of Ulysses,
The Gap Band,
Major Organ And The Adding Machine,
London Community Gospel Choir,
DJ Sneak,
The Doobie Brothers,
Traffic Nightmare,
Juan Atkins,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
Pylon,
Little Man, Little Man, Little Man, Little Man.
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.