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 Paraguay and from Manila.
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 1961 to 1979.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Shanghai and Bologna.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Jakarta 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 Feelies practice in a loft in Haledon.
I was working on the clarinet 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 Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade to the electroclash 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 Negative Approach. All the underground hits.
All Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Ornette Coleman record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal funk hit - 1985, '86, '87.
I heard that you have a CD compilation of every good '80s cut and another box set from the '80s.
I hear you're buying a clarinet and a snare and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Todd Terry record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your spring reverb and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro 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?
The Monks,
Liaisons Dangereuses,
Das Ding,
Oblivians,
Hashim,
Dennis Brown,
The Beau Brummels,
Lizzy Mercier Descloux,
The Standells,
The Mojo Men,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Vladislav Delay,
Mantronix,
Echospace,
Ituana,
Bronski Beat,
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282,
Gichy Dan,
Cheater Slicks,
Unwound,
Mr. Review,
The Detroit Cobras,
Icehouse,
Lou Reed & Metallica,
Dorothy Ashby,
London Community Gospel Choir,
Kango’s Stein Massive,
Scott Walker + Sunn O))),
Sun Ra,
John Foxx,
E-Dancer,
8 Eyed Spy,
The Litter,
Depeche Mode,
The Smiths,
Roxette,
Drive Like Jehu,
The Human League,
Franke,
X-101,
Television,
Glenn Branca,
Yazoo,
Sonic Youth,
The Mighty Diamonds,
Gang Green,
Gastr Del Sol,
Leonard Cohen,
the Swans,
Wasted Youth,
The Walker Brothers,
Clear Light,
Mandrill,
Popol Vuh,
The Victims,
Pere Ubu,
MC5,
Isaac Hayes,
The Gap Band,
The Knickerbockers,
Kenny Larkin,
Monolake,
New Age Steppers, New Age Steppers, New Age Steppers, New Age Steppers.
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.