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 Portugal and from Cairo.
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 1967 to 1970.
I'm losing my edge.
To all the kids in Salvador and Columbus.
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 rhodes sounds with much patience.
I was there when Donald Fagen 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 Archie Shepp to the crunk kids.
I played it at the Roxy.
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 Crooked Eye. All the underground hits.
All Art Ensemble Of Chicago tracks. I heard you have a vinyl of every Bootsy's Rubber Band 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 a synthesizer and a spring reverb and are throwing your macbook out the window because you want to make something real. You want to make a Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan record.
I hear that you and your band have sold your clarinet and bought a marimba.
I hear that you and your band have sold your marimba and bought a clarinet.
I hear everybody that you know is more relevant than everybody that I know.
But have you seen my records?
Heaven 17,
The Litter,
Mandrill,
Dark Day,
Rosa Yemen,
Easy Going,
Panda Bear,
Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane,
Marvin Gaye,
The Angels of Light,
Pantaleimon,
Kurtis Blow,
Piero Umiliani,
Glenn Branca,
The Mojo Men,
John Holt,
Make Up,
Theoretical Girls,
Nils Olav,
the Sonics,
The Music Machine,
Echospace,
Isaac Hayes,
the Swans,
Camron Feat. Memphis Bleek And Beenie Seigel,
Gastr Del Sol,
Ultramagnetic MC's,
Warsaw,
Cameo,
Adolescents,
The Remains,
Ludus,
Deadbeat,
Marmalade,
Flipper,
The Kinks,
Pantytec,
Slave,
Jandek,
Con Funk Shun,
Josef K,
Tommy Roe,
a-ha,
Lindisfarne,
DeepChord presents Echospace,
Roy Ayers,
Rahsaan Roland Kirk,
Eli Mardock,
Public Enemy,
Magma,
Throbbing Gristle,
Mark Hollis,
Electric Light Orchestra,
Matthew Bourne,
Moebius,
Johnny Clarke,
Minutemen,
U.S. Maple,
Camouflage,
Ossler,
Rakim, Rakim, Rakim, Rakim.
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.