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 China and from Sao Paulo.
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 1972.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Tehran and Seoul.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Accra 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 1977 at the first Mistral practice in a loft in Amsterdam.
I was working on the arpeggiator 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 Amon Düül to the electroclash kids.
I played it at the Spitz.
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 Jeff Mills. All the underground hits.
All The Angels of Light tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Sandy B record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal jazz hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '70s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a synthesizer and a mellotron and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Roxy Music record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your guitar and bought a snare.
I hear that you and your band have sold your snare and bought a guitar.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Curtis Mayfield,
Carl Craig,
Depeche Mode,
Gichy Dan,
Country Teasers,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Brothers Johnson,
Ronan,
Hashim,
Gang of Four,
The Associates,
Pharaoh Sanders and the Fire Engines,
H. Thieme,
Bobby Womack,
Be Bop Deluxe,
The Star Department,
Lou Reed,
Ossler,
Radio Birdman,
Dual Sessions,
Little Man,
Black Pus,
AZ,
Sixth Finger,
Public Enemy,
A Flock of Seagulls,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Amon Düül,
Young Marble Giants,
Soul II Soul,
Juan Atkins,
Flash Fearless,
Fela Kuti,
The Birthday Party,
Lonnie Liston Smith,
Brick,
Black Flag,
Bootsy's Rubber Band,
Public Image Ltd.,
Max Romeo,
the Bar-Kays,
N.O.R.E. Featuring Pharrell,
The Dirtbombs,
The Stooges,
Beasts of Bourbon,
Liliput,
The Human League,
Index,
Neu!,
Motorama,
The Pop Group,
Gil Scott Heron,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
Lee Hazlewood,
Eric B and Rakim,
Audionom,
Derrick Morgan,
Ten City,
Silicon Teens,
The Divine Comedy,
Erykah Badu, Erykah Badu, Erykah Badu, Erykah Badu.
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.