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 Rwanda and from Hong Kong.
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 1974.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Beijing and Spokane.
I'm losing my edge to the art-school Manchester 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 1968 at the first Bowie practice in a loft in Bromley.
I was working on the harpsichord 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 Lalann to the grime kids.
I played it at Cafe Wha.
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 Larry & the Blue Notes. All the underground hits.
All Bush Tetras tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Maurizio 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 '80s cut and another box set from the '70s.
I hear you're buying an arpeggiator and a theremin and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a MC5 record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your arpeggiator and bought a 808.
I hear that you and your band have sold your 808 and bought an arpeggiator.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Wally Richardson,
Patti Smith,
Zero Boys,
Cabaret Voltaire,
Agitation Free,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
The Detroit Cobras,
Piero Umiliani,
Marc Romboy vs. Booka Shade,
Scratch Acid,
Sad Lovers and Giants,
Kevin Saunderson,
Livin' Joy,
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band,
The Doobie Brothers,
Carl Craig,
Chrome,
Liliput,
June of 44,
Black Sheep,
Unwound,
Roxy Music,
Crispian St. Peters,
Ossler,
Bobby Byrd,
Henry Cow,
Mad Mike,
The Fall,
Can,
Sun Ra Arkestra,
The Last Poets,
Country Teasers,
FM Einheit,
Whodini,
F. McDonald,
Youth Brigade,
AZ,
Kings Of Tomorrow,
Minutemen,
Rhythim Is Rhythim,
A Certain Ratio,
Lyres,
Lakeside,
The Chocolate Watch Band,
The Mojo Men,
Todd Rundgren,
The Durutti Column,
Darondo,
Alice Coltrane,
Pulsallama,
John Cale,
Warsaw,
Bizarre Inc.,
John Foxx,
The Pop Group,
Grey Daturas,
Stiv Bators,
Fifty Foot Hose,
Royal Trux,
Blancmange,
Grandmaster Flash,
Maurizio,
Skaos, Skaos, Skaos, Skaos.
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.