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 Bahrain and from Toronto.
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 1963 to 1975.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Accra and Winnipeg.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school London 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 1976 at the first Buzzcocks practice in a loft in Bolton.
I was working on the spring reverb 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 Q65 to the funk 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 Eric Dolphy. All the underground hits.
All The Mummies tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every This Heat 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a marimba and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Swell Maps record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Bronski Beat,
Gong,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
The Skatalites,
Ten City,
The Litter,
Stereo Dub,
Tears for Fears,
The Cosmic Jokers,
Sunsets and Hearts,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Qualms,
Chris Corsano,
The Cramps,
Grauzone,
Underground Resistance,
Lafayette Afro Rock Band,
Porter Ricks,
The Last Poets,
World's Most,
Wings,
The Martian,
Sam Rivers,
Little Man,
Quantec,
Suicide,
Funky Four + One,
Cecil Taylor,
Drexciya,
Television Personalities,
Scott Walker,
Flamin' Groovies,
Connie Case,
Cameo,
Warsaw,
Circle Jerks,
Angels of Light & Akron/Family,
K-Klass,
Curtis Mayfield,
Alton Ellis,
Pierre Henry,
Sight & Sound,
Ludus,
Lalann,
Moby Grape,
The Neon Judgement,
Swell Maps,
Clear Light,
Aaron Thompson,
A Certain Ratio,
Newcleus,
Big Daddy Kane,
The Wake,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Bootsy Collins,
Jeff Mills,
The Gun Club,
Louis and Bebe Barron,
The Monks,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Skriet,
Hot Snakes, Hot Snakes, Hot Snakes, Hot Snakes.
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.