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 Papua New Guinea and from Taipei.
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 1971.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Mexico City and Calgary.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Winnipeg 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 sitar 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 In Retrospect to the funk kids.
I played it at the Hacienda.
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 Arcadia. All the underground hits.
All Malaria! tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Erykah Badu 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 '60s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying a 808 and a harpsichord and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Archie Shepp record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your theremin and bought a synthesizer.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a theremin.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
DJ Sneak,
Ajijia Myrayebe,
Bang on a Can All-Stars,
Max Romeo,
Aswad,
Heavy D & The Boyz,
Larry & the Blue Notes,
DNA,
Oppenheimer Analysis,
Idris Muhammad,
A Certain Ratio,
Pussy Galore,
Saccharine Trust,
The Dirtbombs,
Byron Stingily,
Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx,
Nico,
Dark Day,
Tres Demented,
Mars,
Organ,
Lightning Bolt,
Art Ensemble Of Chicago,
Soul Sonic Force,
Anthony Braxton,
Fatback Band,
Technova,
Suicide,
D'Angelo,
Stetsasonic,
Suburban Knight,
Isaac Hayes,
KRS-One,
Justin Hinds & The Dominoes,
Dorothy Ashby,
Motorama,
The Stooges,
Yellowson,
The Five Americans,
The Kinks,
Qualms,
Fear,
Rufus Thomas,
the Fania All-Stars,
Rhythm & Sound,
Jandek,
B.T. Express,
The Blues Magoos,
Au Pairs,
Public Enemy,
Bill Wells,
Babytalk,
Index,
Magazine,
Pylon,
Brass Construction,
Con Funk Shun,
Alison Limerick,
Desert Stars,
The Gap Band,
Mad Mike,
Brick,
Josef K,
Erasure,
Ultimate Spinach, Ultimate Spinach, Ultimate Spinach, Ultimate Spinach.
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.