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 Lebanon and from Mexico City.
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 1966 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Paris and Toronto.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Lille 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 Captain Beefheart 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 Roy Ayers Ubiquity to the jazz kids.
I played it at the Crocodile.
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 Amazonics. All the underground hits.
All Chris & Cosey tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Minutemen 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 '70s cut and another box set from the '90s.
I hear you're buying an oboe and a synthesizer and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Unrelated Segments record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your oboe and bought a rhodes.
I hear that you and your band have sold your rhodes and bought an oboe.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,
Animal Collective,
Dennis Brown,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Boogie Down Productions,
Blossom Toes,
Public Enemy,
Marcia Griffiths,
Amon Düül II,
Darondo,
MC5,
Monks,
Arthur Verocai,
John Foxx,
The Victims,
Bush Tetras,
DJ Style,
L. Decosne,
Pierre Henry,
Eurythmics,
Johnny Clarke,
U.S. Maple,
Flamin' Groovies,
Jandek,
Gang Green,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
The Dead C,
Trumans Water,
Thee Headcoats,
Maurizio,
Delon & Dalcan,
Wolf Eyes,
Crash Course in Science,
Von Mondo,
Wire,
Maleditus Sound,
Anthony Braxton,
The Motions,
Surgeon,
Boredoms,
Das Ding,
EPMD,
Kas Product,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Ronan,
Anakelly,
The Real Kids,
Tom Boy,
Sly & The Family Stone,
John Cale,
Crispy Ambulance,
Unwound,
Lou Christie,
Rod Modell,
Danielle Patucci,
The Seeds,
Q65,
Hardrive,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Niagra,
Andrew Hill, Andrew Hill, Andrew Hill, Andrew Hill.
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.