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 Philippines and from Accra.
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 1965 to 1973.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Columbus and New York.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Cairo 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 1971 at the first Big Star practice in a loft in Memphis.
I was working on the sitar sounds with much patience.
I was there when Tom Verlaine 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 Icehouse 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 Cymande. All the underground hits.
All Arthur Verocai tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Reuben Wilson record on German import.
I heard that you have a white label of every seminal electroclash 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 snare and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your synthesizer and bought a güiro.
I hear that you and your band have sold your güiro and bought a synthesizer.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Magma,
Amon Düül,
Cybotron,
The Music Machine,
The Blackbyrds,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Derrick Morgan,
Technova,
Avey Tare's Slasher Flicks,
Mission of Burma,
Ash Ra Tempel,
Man Parrish,
Arab on Radar,
Motorama,
Peter & Gordon,
Pierre Henry,
The Fuzztones,
Eric Dolphy,
James White and The Blacks,
Grauzone,
Funky Four + One,
Morten Harket,
Adolescents,
Wighnomy Brothers & Robag Wruhme,
Unrelated Segments,
Cameo,
Brothers Johnson,
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks,
Flamin' Groovies,
Danielle Patucci,
Desert Stars,
Spoonie Gee,
Pere Ubu,
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth,
Agent Orange,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Ornette Coleman,
cv313,
Marshall Jefferson,
Sun City Girls,
Liliput,
Andrew Ashong & Theo Parrish,
Mantronix,
The Toasters,
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band,
DNA,
Pet Shop Boys,
Fatback Band,
Barbara Tucker,
ABBA,
Minny Pops,
Coldchain, Rosco P., Featuring Pusha T from Clipse & Boo-Bonic,
Underground Resistance,
The Dead C,
Swell Maps,
Reuben Wilson,
Mo-Dettes,
Can,
Circle Jerks,
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.