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 Iran and from Tokyo.
But I was there.
I was there in 1984.
I was there at the first Arcadia show in London.
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 1967 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Calgary and Philadelphia.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Milan 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 theremin 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 Crash Course in Science to the disco kids.
I played it at the Troubador.
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 The Invisible. All the underground hits.
All The Saints tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every David Axelrod record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal dance 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 mellotron and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a The Monochrome Set record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 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?
Warren Ellis,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
The Fortunes,
Amon Düül,
Oneida,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
The Move,
The Count Five,
Max Romeo,
F. McDonald,
Minnie Riperton,
Franke,
Kerrie Biddell,
Eric B and Rakim,
Throbbing Gristle,
Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan,
The Grass Roots,
Aloha Tigers,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
The Searchers,
Kerri Chandler,
Be Bop Deluxe,
Bluetip,
Cal Tjader,
Fela Kuti,
Archie Shepp,
Yusef Lateef,
Barbara Tucker,
Gian Franco Pienzio,
Second Layer,
Hasil Adkins,
Swans,
Sex Pistols,
Mary Jane Girls,
B.T. Express,
X-101,
Johnny Osbourne,
Brothers Johnson,
June Days,
Iggy Pop,
Joey Negro,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
the Sonics,
Cluster,
Royal Trux,
Urselle,
Marmalade,
Robert Görl,
The Slackers,
Loose Ends,
Minny Pops,
U.S. Maple,
D'Angelo,
The Barracudas,
Scrapy,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
The Skatalites,
Neu!,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Peanut Butter Conspiracy,
Man Parrish, Man Parrish, Man Parrish, Man Parrish.
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.